


Lapis Lazuli

by Babygunsho



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-15
Updated: 2015-07-30
Packaged: 2018-04-09 10:17:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 25
Words: 55,380
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4344692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Babygunsho/pseuds/Babygunsho
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's hard to balance work and love, but add dark magic to the mix and it's almost impossible.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> First, the idea came from [Kawase Natsuna's manga, Lapis Lazuli no Oukan. ](https://www.mangaupdates.com/series.html?id=12780) I have always wanted to write a Fantasy genre and I really love the idea that it doesn't always have to be a wand.
> 
> A lot, lot of thanks for my betas, Cairis & (anonymous). I wish I could have finished early but thank you for helping me ;u;
> 
> For wykedpanda, I learned a lot from you and I hope I can become better in the future. I wish I could explain it better in words, but I can only say thank you so, so much for all the help that you gave to me. It really means a lot to me.
> 
> To Team Lotus, I'm sorry. I wish I could have been more active. I'm glad I could meet all of you, especially one of my favorite authors, Adele. I will check your and Tiffany's stories for sure and leave comments! Good luck to Amy, tell me when it's out haha!
> 
> To our dear mods, Ansa & Ren, this will be my last time saying this, thank you for all your hard work, especially for creating Exordium. I...hopefully will join again next year? ^^a
> 
> Lastly, to those who read my story, I know I lack a lot, but I really hope you can read it until the end and enjoy my story. Please do leave me a comment, it would be lovely to know what you're thinking while you read my story...^^

Fingers ran through messy black hair, trying to make it neat. A green tie hung untied around his neck. The man hadn't cleaned up his books last night so he flicked his left hand and the books gathered in a pile on his desk. With a snap of the fingers, his tie moved itself and made a proper fold while he checked his watch.

 

"Shit."

 

Putting his books inside his bag, he cast a spell as he walked to his door. When he opened it, he saw the intersection near his office; this was the limit for people to use their power outside the magic barrier. He stepped inside the door and closed it before he started to run to the building.

 

He was late for the third time this week.

 

 

 

 

 

Jongin stopped himself a metre from his class. He mopped his slightly damp forehead with his sleeve before entering inside.  

 

The class was silent when he came in, but he still put on a smile. His gaze focused on a pair of big, round eyes that stared back at him. His eyes fell on a pair of big, round eyes staring back at him. Like Jongin, the man was wearing a dark green tie. With his arms folded, he raised an eyebrow at Jongin. He had his arms folded, and he raised an eyebrow at Jongin.

 

"Trainer Kim, we've been waiting for you," the man said.

 

"I'm sorry." Jongin walked to the man and stopped in front of him. "Would you please stop? The students will lose respect for me and start saying it too," Jongin whispered, hiding it with a blinding smile.

 

"I don't care. You're late and you know I hate waiting, Jongin."

 

"Kyungsoo-hyung—"

 

Kyungsoo turned away from Jongin, clapping his hands to address the class. "Since Trainer Kim is here, we can all move to Training Room Three. Please go ahead while I discuss something with him."

 

The class stood from their chairs and left for the training room.

 

Once the last student had left, Kyungsoo turned to glare at Jongin. Even so, he reached up to touch Jongin's cheek, a small frown on his face. "I told you to sleep early. Your brother won't be happy to see your attendance record, Jongin."

 

Jongin leaned into the touch, smiling at Kyungsoo's face, which looked gentler this time. "I'm sorry. You know I can't sleep until I finish my reading. It bothers me, hyung."

 

Kyungsoo sighed, patting Jongin’s cheek. "Alright. Let's go and teach them what made you late then."

 

 

 

 

 

Jongin and Kyungsoo were trainers in the Ministry of Magic. They instructed new recruits with high skill in magic as Catchers. The Catchers’ job was to chase Runners—simply referred to as  ‘Chasing’—who use black magic. Black magic was forbidden even if it was taught in the School of Magic. For the past few months Runners had been attacking the Castle and many people had died trying to protect the country. The Ministry still hadn't figured out the intention of the Runners; all they knew was that they needed to be able to protect themselves and the Castle. And in order to fight back,  they needed the best magicians they could find.

 

Not everyone was born with magic and even if one was, magic wasn’t easy to control. They needed to practise by going to the School of Magic for six years to understand and control their powers.

 

It had been Kyungsoo's dream to work in the Ministry of Magic but the department he worked in wasn't where he’d expected to work. He had wanted to be a part of the Department of Education because he wanted to remove the system called Tutoring. Each final year student had to be a tutor for an underclassman and prove to the school Council that their tutee had improved greatly with their magic due to the tutor’s help. No student could graduate without being a successful tutor.

 

Kyungsoo had been Jongin’s tutor.

 

Kyungsoo and Jongin hadn’t known they would meet again in the same department. Kyungsoo had thought Jongin would go to the Department of Law, where his father worked, but he’d never really asked  Jongin about his dreams. They hadn’t been as close back then.

 

In fact, Kyungsoo and Jongin had hated each other, but the tutoring had forced them to start a good relationship and they had, surprisingly, found comfort in each other's company. Jongin had confessed to Kyungsoo just before the older had taken his final exam but Kyungsoo had never given him an answer.

 

When they met again in the Ministry, Kyungsoo had realized that he missed Jongin and finally said yes when Jongin once again asked him to be his.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kyungsoo was observing the new recruits, writing down their improvements or shortcomings. Jongin, on the other hand, was demonstrating dueling techniques and then choosing pairs to practise with each other. There were twenty new recruits in total and not all of them could pass the test. Only the best would be Catchers, while the rest would be moved to other departments, depending on their skills.

 

The first batch they had taught passed only three people while the second batch produced five great Catchers. Kyungsoo and Jongin were proud to be trainers but there were times when they felt like they didn't belong there. There were other places they wanted to be.

 

After four hours the class stopped for lunch. While the new recruits headed out, Jongin and Kyungsoo always went to the Law building where Jongin's father and brother worked.

 

"Jongdae hyung came back last night," Jongin said as they walked down the corridor.

 

"How is he?"

 

"Tired as usual. He went to bed as soon as he arrived. He said he missed you."

 

Kyungsoo chuckled, staring up at Jongin, who looked bored. "He thinks of me as his boyfriend, huh?"

 

"No, another brother." Jongin shook his head. He was a little jealous of their relationship. They were close, as Jongdae had been the first to get close to Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo had hated Jongin so much back then. He had been young and acted like a brat.

 

"I miss him, too. It seems like he's more busy, he only gets back like, what, once every two months?" Kyungsoo tried not to smile when Jongin groaned out loud. He liked to see Jongin when he's jealous; the pout he made and the whiny tone he used were cute.

 

Jongin might look cool to a stranger, but in fact he was the total opposite and that was what had made Kyungsoo finally fall for him. First impressions couldn't be trusted.

 

"I feel like fighting the Runners myself, you know? I mean, knowing how many people are injured because of them. I heard there are fewer than ten Runners, but look at what’s happening to us! I thought we had the best magicians. It frustrates me whenever Dae-hyung comes back with injuries."

 

Kyungsoo knew how dangerous Jongdae's job was. Jongdae was the only healer in one group sent by the Ministry to fight the Runners. The Ministry only sent out small groups to fight, not wanting to risk Jongdae by giving him more injuries than he could safely treat after his energy had been depleted during the Chasing.  

 

"I'm sure they’ll find someone else like Jongdae-hyung soon." Kyungsoo smiled and placed a hand on Jongin's arm.

 

Jongin smiled back. "I hope so."

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jongin knocked on his brother's office door, smiling at the man behind the desk. His brother had recently changed his hair to blond, whereas Jongin had just dyed his hair color back to black. Junmyeon looked up from his papers and cleaned his glasses, seeing Jongin leaning on the door frame with Kyungsoo beside him.

 

"Come on, Jun-hyung. We're hungry," Jongin said. Junmyeon liked to cook sometimes and he always offered Kyungsoo and Jongin the food he brought from home. Jongin had been looking forward to it.

 

Junmyeon chuckled, straightening up his desk for a moment before joining Jongin and Kyungsoo.

Even though he always had a smile on his face, many of Junmyeon’s colleagues thought him hard to approach, so he didn’t have many friends aside from Jongin and Kyungsoo. Junmyeon was a Kim, after all, and the Kim family was famous for being strong-willed.

 

"Wow. My favorite. Thanks, Hyung!!" Jongin grinned at the sight of chicken before him. He started to eat before his brother had even had a chance to sit down, and Kyungsoo scolded him for his impatience.

 

"It's okay, Kyungsoo. You can't do anything when Jongin sees chicken." Junmyeon laughed when Kyungsoo punched Jongin's arm.

 

"He loves chicken more than me."

 

"Just when I'm hungry." Jongin waggled his eyebrows, earning him another smack from Kyungsoo. "Hyung..." he whined.

 

Junmyeon shook his head; once, he never would have imagined the sight before him. It had taken almost three months for the couple to be friends, and half a year after their second meeting before they’d become a couple. Each day had felt so long back then, when Kyungsoo had been trying to tutor Jongin.

 

"How's work, hyung?" Kyungsoo asked. Junmyeon had just started working in the Ministry two weeks before. He hadn’t wanted to work in the Ministry, but his father had insisted, as, unlike his brothers, he was good at reading people.

 

Jongin was good at combat while Jongdae was good in healing. The eldest, Minseok, was a trainer just like Kyungsoo and Jongin, but he taught the royal guards, which meant he stayed in the Castle for a few days each week.

 

Junmyeon's work wasn't as fun as his brothers' jobs but Junmyeon never looked unhappy even though it wasn’t what he’d wanted.

 

"I discovered something today." Junmyeon paused, wondering if he should tell his brother and Kyungsoo. It was a secret, but they worked in the same place and he knew the pair wouldn't tell anyone else. "I told you before how I’ve never met my boss?"

 

Jongin nodded. "Yeah," he said, from around his fourth chicken leg.

 

"Well, it turns out that he's undercover. I talked to Jongdae for a bit last night and he told me about it. My boss relayed the message through him. I still haven't met my boss. Maybe I won't even meet him until after he finishes his job."

 

"But he's the boss, why’d he go undercover? He has people to do that for him," Jongin said.

 

Junmyeon sighed. "That's what I don't understand. I don't know what he's thinking. I heard some stories about him and they said that he's like that; he likes to get his hands dirty. He likes the challenge."

 

"It's quite admirable in my opinion. But it's dangerous. Undercover isn't easy. He has to stay in character, and I heard some people even join the other side," Kyungsoo said and Junmyeon nodded in agreement.

 

"I know. But I'm sure he's not the type to cross over. Considering the letter he sent me, I’m sure that he won't go to the other side." Junmyeon's eyes caught Jongin’s smirk. "What?"

 

"You haven't even met him."

 

"Read the letter yourself, Jongin. I can see how serious he is about this. It's dangerous but he had to get the letter to our people. He will be tortured if he gets caught!" Junmyeon appeared very worried, food untouched and chopsticks clenched in his hand as he frowned.

 

"Okay, hyung. I believe you. Now please eat your food, aren't you hungry?" The smirk turned into the kind smile Jongin always used to help calm his brother and Junmyeon inhaled, nodding before he started eating.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Junmyeon thought that he might be working overnight so he told Jongin and Kyungsoo not to wait for him after they’d finished. Seeing Jongin’s worried look, he gave him an assuring smile and patted him on the head. "I'll be back as soon as I can. Don't worry."

 

"I'll tell Dae-hyung to come here later."

 

"Oh that's a good idea. I could do with company." He shook his head when Jongin parted his lips. "Not you. You have to work. Jongdae is taking a break so he's fine. Tell him to bring some food too, okay?"

 

"Okay, hyung."

 

"See you tomorrow, Kyungsoo." Junmyeon gave Kyungsoo a brief hug, the younger telling him to take care.

 

"You guys seriously worry too much about me. I'm older than you both." Junmyeon narrowed his eyes and folded his arms, trying to look angry.

 

"If you had someone we wouldn't need to worry, hyung." Jongin smirked when Junmyeon smacked his arm. "Hey! You hit me a lot now. You need to stop hanging out with Kyungsoo."

 

"I'll pretend I didn’t hear that." Kyungsoo pushed Jongin out from the room. "Bye, hyung."

 

"Yeah." Junmyeon sighed, glad that Jongin and Kyungsoo were finally leaving and he could work in peace again.

 

He watched as they walked down the corridor, both arguing briefly, before Kyungsoo held Jongin's hand for a moment. Junmyeon could see that Jongin was shocked because he stopped walking for a moment. Jongin then hugged Kyungsoo, only to be hit.

 

"I don't feel like I’ll meet that someone any time soon, Jongin-ah.” Junmyeon smiled bitterly.

  
  
  
  



	2. Chapter 2

There was a knock on Junmyeon’s door and he smiled when he heard a familiar voice.

 

"Jun hyung!”

 

"Hey." Junmyeon kept his gaze on the document before him; it was high priority and needed his immediate attention.

 

"I brought food. Let's eat first, Jongin keeps reminding me that you have to eat." Jongdae sat on the couch and opened the food he brought from home. Seeing Junmyeon still focused on his work, he waved a finger to send the paperwork flying away.

 

"Jongdae! I was almost finished!" Junmyeon groaned, waving his hand to get the papers back.

 

"Two minutes." Jongdae put his feet on the coffee table, leaning against the couch to find a comfortable position. "Ah, I really love this couch. You should ask them where they bought it from. I want one in my own office."

 

"You don't have an office." Junmyeon sped through his reading; he only had two pages left.

 

"Rude! I will have one when I get back here."

 

"Sadly that won't happen."

 

"Hyung, since when you become this mean? You hurt me, I don't want to come here anymore." Jongdae faked a cry.

 

Junmyeon smiled, his hand making a line under number eight.

  
  


_Eight?_

  
  


"They have eight members?" he asked out loud.

 

"Huh?" Jongdae tilted his head. "Who?"

 

"The group! My boss said there were nine total members with him. How come our best magicians couldn't defeat nine people?" Junmyeon took off his glasses and rubbed his face in frustration. "How powerful are they that we had so many injured Catchers?"

 

"They're fast. It seems like they knew about our weakness. In less than five minutes, one of our members got hurt. They are always one step ahead of us." Jongdae frowned as he tried to remember the last time he went to work. Junmyeon took a seat beside him and his stomach grumbled.

"Eat."

 

"Have you eaten?" Junmyeon took the chopstick and opened the box. He forgot he was hungry. Digging in, he hummed when he tasted the warm meat."Perfect."

 

Jongdae leaned his head against the couch, smiling as he watched his brother stuffing his mouth with food. "How are you?"

 

"Hmm?"

 

"Your heart."

 

Junmyeon almost choked. "What about my heart?" He put his right hand above his heart for emphasis.

 

"Hyung." Jongdae put a hand on Junmyeon's thigh. "Don't do that. It's me."

 

"Why do you think I want to stay at my office till this late?"

 

"Oh. _Oh._ To forget _him._ Right, of course. Why didn’t I realize that? Why don't you find another man?"

 

Junmyeon huffed. "I would do it if it were that easy."

 

"You have many fans, hyung."

 

Junmyeon knew. He knew that he should move on from his previous boyfriend who decided to move to another country. As a scientist-magician, a person who liked to explore and develop magic, he had been dreaming to travel around and as much as Junmyeon had loved him, he couldn't tell his ex to stay beside him. It was hard to find someone who saw him as a normal person. Many people saw him like he was some kind of important person, maybe one of the ministries just because he's a Kim and he hated it since he was young.

 

Junmyeon was fourteen when he finally saw the meaning of those smiles and greetings.

 

Only because he's a Kim.

 

Not because he's Junmyeon.

  
  
  
  
  
  


 

Junmyeon actually didn't want Jongdae to help him read some reference books. He only needed his brother to be by his side, but Jongdae said he was bored so Junmyeon allowed him to do some research his boss required.

 

"Have you met him?" Junmyeon suddenly asked Jongdae.

 

Jongdae looked up from his book. "Your boss?"

 

"Yeah. It's so awkward and annoying when someone who you have never seen before gives you orders like this." Junmyeon stretched his body; he'd been reading for over an hour and still hadn’t found what he’d been searching for.

 

"I think I met him twice? Not on the field, of course. He's quite famous for being a cold and dependable team leader so I heard some stories about him." Jongdae stood up from the couch and walked over to look at Junmyeon’s empty page of notes

 

"You saw him here, then?"

 

"Yeah."

 

"What does he look like?"

 

"Uh, you know we have his photo here somewhere, right?" Jongdae raised an eyebrow at Junmyeon's question.

 

"I always forget to ask people to bring me his photo." Junmyeon shrugged. He never really took interest in people long enough to actually dig up information about them.

 

"You want me to search it for you now?" Jongdae asked, leaning his hip against the desk.

 

"No, it's okay. Just tell me."

 

"Hmm. Tall and handsome."

 

Junmyeon narrowed his eyes at a grinning Jongdae.

 

"It's hard to describe, hyung. He's taller than Jongin and he's the type who has many fans but the fans are too scared to get close to him. He rarely laughs, I heard. What do you think of him, you know, after reading his letter?"

 

"Someone who loves his work." Junmyeon sighed. "I hate dealing with these kinds of people. They want everything to be perfect and the orders, God...he gives me a list of what to do, with details! He said that I have to take charge in his place for now and wants me to do my job properly. He warns me not to make any mistakes! I’m so gonna complain to him when he comes back.”

 

"That means he believes in you, hyung. He has never met you before but he knows you can do it."

 

Junmyeon shot a glare at Jongdae. "You should be defending me, not him."

 

"I'm not defending anyone, hyung. I'm just telling you from my point of view. But then again, you're the one who's good at reading people so maybe you're right. He wants everything to be perfect and want you not to mess things up. He's been doing this for months, Jun hyung." Jongdae frowned when Junmyeon sighed out loud.

 

"Fine."

 

"What is it? You haven't even seen this guy and you already hate him? Wow. The first time ever." Junmyeon groaned at his brother’s teasing tone.

 

"I don't know. Maybe it’s because he reminds me of _him._ "

 

Jongdae let out a small _ah._ "Right. Someone who loves his work more than you. _Oops._ " He grinned when he got a glare again. "Oh well. Suck it up, hyung. You won't be able to move to another place after all. Not when you don't want to fight our father and tell him what you want."

 

Junmyeon dropped his head down.

  
  
  


He was a coward.

 

He couldn't say what was on his mind to his father, unlike his brothers.

 

He felt so pathetic and wanted to cry at the moment.

  
  
  


Seeing Jongdae’s shoes enter his vision, Junmyeon lifted his head. Jongdae was smiling at him, and he squatted down to meet Junmyeon’s eyes.

 

"You'll be fine. You're not only a _Kim,_ but you're _Kim Junmyeon._ You'll do great, just like usual."

 

"What if I don't want to do great things?"

 

"It doesn't matter. Whether you want it or not, you will do something great in the end. It's in our blood; we will get attention wherever we go."

 

Junmyeon pursed his lips. Jongdae was right. He couldn't choose the family he was born into. He should be thankful that he had such a loving and caring family instead of focusing on the surname that had always burdened him.

 

"Because we're Kims."

 

"Even if we're Kims, they won't notice us if we don’t do something good, hyung. Just do what you want. When you feel like not doing it anymore, then tell Father about it. I'm sure he'll understand."

 

Junmyeon could only nod, knowing that no, he was the only one who listened to his father and there was no way he wanted to disappoint him.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Junmyeon and Jongdae arrived at their house around 4 a.m. They were surprised to find Minseok cooking at that hour.

 

"Oh, hey. Want some?" he smiled, turning his head back to the food he was making.

 

"Why are you cooking this early?" Jongdae peeked over Minseok's shoulder to see what he was making. "French toast."

 

"Yeah. Kind of hungry but not that hungry, you know?"

 

"You mean you feel like eating something sweet." Jongdae patted Minseok's shoulder. "Me too, please. You want some, Jun hyung?"

 

Junmyeon was staring into space and Jongdae swayed his hand to bring a gust of wind at his face, startling the older.

 

"What?" Junmyeon snapped at him. Jongdae liked to get people’s attention by using his magic, especially Junmyeon who was often deep in thought and forgot his surroundings.

 

"Seriously, what are you thinking about? You keep getting lost in your own thoughts," Jongdae pouted.

 

"Work. Minseok hyung, have you heard any news about this operation from the Castle?"

 

"Nope. Just to stay alert in case they attack us so suddenly. Why?"

 

"I'm wondering how can someone be that powerful? They only have nine members, hyung. How could we have lost to them?" Junmyeon had been thinking about it since earlier. He couldn't find much information himself; he would have to wait a couple more hours until he went back to the office and asked the other employees.

 

"Black magic."

 

Jongdae dropped the mug he was holding, causing a loud crash that startled his brothers.

 

"Be careful, Dae," Minseok sighed.

 

"Sorry. Just, why didn’t I realize it before? I've never seen them in battle and the others never told me about it either." Jongdae inhaled, staring at the pieces of yellow ceramic on the floor. He huffed before moving his body to clean it. "Is black magic that powerful, hyung?"

 

"Very. When you use black magic, your powers can double."

 

"Black magic will always win, then?" Junmyeon asked.

 

"No, we still can defeat them. We just need to know when and how." Placing the toast on the table, he sat down. "You need to talk with your boss about it. I’m sure he knows what to do."

 

Jongdae laughed while Junmyeon dropped his head on the table. Minseok blinked at his brothers’ reactions. "What did I say to make him laugh?" he asked a pouting Junmyeon.

 

"My boss is working undercover. Before you ask, yes, it was his decision to do it. I’ve never met him before and it's a bit tricky to be able to talk with him," Junmyeon explained.

 

Jongdae joined the two at the table and bit into some toast. "I'm the messenger," he grinned at Minseok.

 

"So you're the temporary boss. But don't you have other work about the cases? Why you want to know more about black magic?"

 

"I'm sure everyone in the country wants to know about  black magic. If they manage to defeat the king, then we're screwed." Junmyeon bit his lower lip. "I really should talk about this to my boss. I'm sure he already knew but he hadn't mentioned it to me. I wonder why..."

 

Junmyeon waved his hand for a pen and paper before he started making notes.

 

"Great. Now he's thinking of work again." Jongdae took a big bite of his toast and sighed. "I'm going to sleep now, Jun hyung."

 

"Good night," Junmyeon replied without looking up from his paper, hand moving quickly to write what came to his mind.

 

Jongdae dumped his plate at the sink before walking out of the kitchen. Minseok stayed with Junmyeon after he finished drafting a letter to his boss. Junmyeon asked Minseok more about black magic and the latter answered with what he knew.

 

"Why don't you come to the Castle with me tomorrow?" Minseok offered.

 

"Huh?"

 

"Aren't you bored staying inside of your office? I know it's nice, comfortable and all, but you really do need to go out at least once a week. Jongin complained to me about it." Minseok chuckled when Junmyeon grumbled under his breath about their youngest brother.

 

"Fine. I do need to stay away from my work for a while." Junmyeon smiled in thanks to Minseok who stood up, taking milk from the refrigerator.

 

"Aren't you going to sleep? It's almost 6, Jun."

 

Junmyeon turned his head to the window and pursed his lips. It was almost morning but he wasn’t ready for bed. He fell asleep couple of times in his office earlier. He was tired and his eyes were drooping but his mind just wouldn’t stop running. He hadn’t been able to sleep for the past few days.

 

"Want me to take some sleeping medicine from Dae?" Minseok asked with a knowing look.

 

"Yes, please."

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

Minseok woke Junmyeon up after just three hours of sleep. Junmyeon slowly woke up and went to the bathroom while Minseok went downstairs to cook their breakfast. Both Jongin and Jongdae had already gone to work an hour earlier.

 

Junmyeon appeared in the kitchen half an hour after, looking fresh and neat despite his obvious eyes bags.

 

"Aren't you late? It's past nine now." Junmyeon sat down and started eating. Minseok watched as he had already finished his own.

 

"I can go in whenever I want. They already have a schedule and all I have to do is to watch them practise." Minseok smiled. "You're the one who is supposed to be at work right now," he teased.

 

Junmyeon gave a small shrug."What are we doing later?"

 

"Learning about black magic. I have a friend who knows lots about it and two or three guards who were Chasers before." Minseok tilted his head with a frown, "You can come again next time if you have more things to ask. I'm sure they'll be glad to help."

 

"Great. My head's so full of work that I even dream about it," Junmyeon chuckled.

 

"Seriously?"

 

Junmyeon nodded, finishing his food quickly; he was excited to meet Minseok’s friends. "Yep. Come on, let's go. Can't wait to gather information!"

 

Minseok smiled upon seeing Junmyeon’s excitement.

 

Junmyeon was the type to think of his work all the time. He rarely went out to refresh himself or to had fun so his brothers always asked him to tag along when he wasn’t busy. Junmyeon wasn’t aware of how just much his brothers worried about him when he stayed up late working.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Minseok chuckled when he saw how eager and nervous Junmyeon was. Junmyeon’s eyes flicked around as if he were trying to memorize everything he saw. This was Junmyeon’s first visit to the Castle and not everyone was allowed inside so Junmyeon was probably trying to make the most of it.

 

The Castle was protected by a magic barrier and the main gate had around five to eight guards. The central palace was surrounded by a huge garden, full of different kinds of flowers, trees and beautiful fountains. There were four main buildings inside; one  for the main family, two for the branch family, and the last one for the guards.

 

The entrance hall wasn’t as big as Junmyeon had expected. There were many chandeliers and the walls were adorned with paintings and family portraits. There were two sets of sofas with glass tables to the right of the hall while the left led them outside. The full glass doors were open and a breeze floated inside. Everything looked expensive, yet there were subtle touches to add a comfortable, homely feeling to the place.

 

"Minseok-ah, we've been waiting for you." A man with crescent-shaped eyes came over to Minseok when they walked inside the entrance hall. He had a strong jaw and big eyes with a pair of thick lips. His smile appeared friendly yet he still looked serious.  

 

"Do I have to go and check on the kids again?"

 

"They were asking for you. They refused to be watched by _you know who,_ " the man snickered.

 

Minseok sighed. "I'll be there in a minute. I need to take my brother to the scientist first. This is Junmyeon, by the way. Junmyeon, meet Dongwoo. He's a trainer for the Royal Guard, just like me." He put an arm around Junmyeon's shoulder as Junmyeon and Dongwoo shook hands.

 

"Nice to meet you."

 

"So this is the famous Snow White, huh?"

 

"Pardon?"

 

Minseok laughed, patting Junmyeon's back while Junmyeon stared at him in confusion. "That's your nickname, Jun. Some of my friends were and still are your fans and they gave you that nickname."

 

Junmyeon raised his eyebrows, turning to Dongwoo who smiled in confirmation.

 

"Please hurry, Minseok. They're currently on a break and they will be delighted to see you." Dongwoo turned to Junmyeon, his smile getting bigger. "It's nice meeting you, Junmyeon. I have to go back to the field. Please enjoy your trip around the Castle."

  
  
  
  
  


Minseok guided Junmyeon to the east wing. On their walk there, Junmyeon frequently paused to admire the paintings or decoration so Minseok had to keep tugging or pushing him forward.

 

Minseok knocked on the large wooden door at the  end of the corridor before he opened it. He was surprised when he just took one step inside and a loud boom came, smoke covering his vision.

 

"Are you serious?!" Minseok shouted.

 

"Sorry!! I'm terribly sorry, I was just trying something—" a deep voice shouted while Minseok cast a spell to make the smoke disappear.

 

"When are you not trying something?" Minseok huffed. He turned his head to Junmyeon, whose eyes were wide open. "It's okay, it's safe to come inside."

 

"Are you sure?" Junmyeon was still a little twitchy and nervous.

 

"I'm very sorry, Minseok hyung. I thought no one would come at this hour." A tall man bowed to Minseok a couple of times. His dark brown hair was a little bit long, his bangs covering one of his eyes. "I forgot to work the spell you told me about, I was too excited. I'm really sorry. Are you okay?"

 

"I'm fine. I need to go and check the students now but I want you to take care of my brother here, Junmyeon. He wants to ask you about black magic and other stuff so please share as many stories as you can. You know what I will do if something happens to him." Minseok folded his arms. "Is that clear?"

 

"Yes, sir." The man gave a salute with a wide grin, showing his perfect white teeth.

 

"Be careful not to touch anything, Jun. You never know what will explode," Minseok said, after pushing Junmyeon inside the room. Then he closed the door and was gone.

 

Junmyeon gulped as he faced the man who was still smiling.

 

"Hello, my name is Chanyeol. Junmyeon-ssi, right?" Chanyeol offered his hand.

 

Junmyeon shook it and smiled. "Yes. Nice to meet you. Do you have time? I need information about black magic as soon as possible."

 

"Yeah, of course. Let's talk. Please sit in...uhh...wait—" Chanyeol raised both of his hands and cast a spell. The room that was full of things was clean after five seconds. It was as if the room had never been used; all the furniture looked brand new.

 

"Please sit. What do you want to drink? I learned a new recipe a couple of days ago from one of Minseok hyung's students. Do you want to try it?"

 

"Is it safe?" Junmyeon made sure the couch was clean of any spell before he sat down, staring up at Chanyeol.

 

"Huh?" Chanyeol tilted his head for a second. "Oh! Right, of course it is! It's just a normal drink. Let me make it for you." He grinned before walking into the kitchen.

 

"So, you're a scientist?"

 

"Yes."

 

"May I know how you came to work here, in the Castle?" Junmyeon asked carefully.

 

Scientist-magicians were those who loved magic, spending their time to learn every detail of it and anything that's related to magic. They wanted to know if they could do other things with magic, always reading books, experimenting and usually they went to travel to other countries to see if magic was different elsewhere. Scientist-magicians liked to work alone and many people thought of them as crazy. Magic was just magic and many people thought scientists wouldn't find anything new about it.

 

There were some scientists who focused more on designing and making new things, aside from making their own spells that not every magician could do. This type preferred to stay in their own country and locked themselves in their houses instead of travelling around. Sometimes they were hired by the Ministry to make something useful.

 

"I got hired by the Prince."

 

"The Prince? I see, so—wait, _what?_ " Junmyeon sat up straight; did he hear _Prince?_

 

"Yeah, the Prince. The son of the King?" Chanyeol glanced at Junmyeon with a smile.

 

"Why does the Prince need a scientist?"

 

As far as Junmyeon knew, a Prince only needed a tutor. All royal family members would get the best tutor in the country and that wasn't easy. You had to have certain skills and had to be patient as there were many types of people in the family. A royal family tutor was the most desired job as the payment was high with so many other benefits, one of which was living in the Castle.

 

"He likes my inventions?" Chanyeol walked back to Junmyeon and held out a glass filled with a yellow liquid

 

"What's this?"

 

"It's just the coloring. It's from a flower, I forgot the name. But this is delicious. It has a calming effect, please try it."

 

Junmyeon stared at the glass and then at Chanyeol, wondering if he could say no. "Have you tried it before?"

 

"I promise it's okay. This is the most drinkable thing I've ever made before, besides coffee and tea. I don't use any magic when making it." Chanyeol took a seat beside Junmyeon, handing the glass to him.

 

Junmyeon sipped it a little, eyes on Chanyeol who was carefully watching his expression. He blinked his eyes, smacking his lips once.

 

"How is it?"

 

"It's surprisingly delicious. What is it?" Junmyeon sniffed the drink and could smell some spices in it.

 

"I'll teach you how to make it later after we talk. You said you wanted to know about black magic? May I know what's your job first, Junmyeon-ssi?"

 

Junmyeon took another gulp of the drink and sighed. It did have a calming effect and he felt a little sleepy suddenly. "I work in the Law department at the Ministry. It has nothing to do with my job actually; my boss is currently working on a case related to it and he told me to do some research before I give the information to the Catchers’ trainers. He said Runners use black magic and that's why Catchers can't defeat them."

 

Chanyeol nodded as Junmyeon talked. "Well, it is true. I heard that too. Black magic is something that they would love to learn and be great at. Just a simple black magic spell can multiply your power. Who doesn't want that?"

 

"We can make our own spell from black magic, right?"

 

"Yes, we can do that. But most important are stones."

 

"Stones?"

 

Chanyeol stood, going over to one of the cabinets to search for something. He cheered when he found it and crossed back over to Junmyeon.

 

He held out a ring that had a deep blue stone set in it. "This is a special stone that I received from my friend. It is Lapis Lazuli, hard to find and even harder to use. You see, when I use my own stone, which is Emerald—" Chanyeol showed his wrist, a bracelet with three small green jewels adorning it. "I could only make this small explosion, for example—"

 

Chanyeol made a barrier around him and Junmyeon before he cast a spell under his breath. A second after, there was an explosion two metres from them, startling Junmyeon.

 

"That small."

 

"That's small?" Junmyeon asked incredulously.

 

Chanyeol just smiled before he took off his bracelet and two rings. He put on the small ring and repeated the spell.

 

A much louder explosion, followed by thick smoke that filled the room, erupted outside the barrier. They couldn't see any of the furniture from the smoke and Junmyeon took a deep breath.

 

"See?"

 

"It's like what, five times stronger?"

 

Chanyeol nodded, taking off the ring to put his bracelet and rings back on. "Yes. And that's just with this small stone. The bigger the stone, the more power it contains and the more powerful it will be. It's dangerous."

 

"Where did your friend find the stone?"

 

"Unfortunately I never asked him that. He gave it to me only because I'm a friend. I have to tell you that he's out of the country and was in prison once."

 

Junmyeon put down his glass. The combination of Lapis Lazuli and black magic was very dangerous. If Runners had both Lapis Lazuli stones _and_ black magic then—he didn’t want to imagine what would happen to the Royal Guard and Catchers, but there was no doubt that they would lose.

 

"Tell me more about it. The most important thing now is to defeat the Runners. I never knew these things even existed."

 

Chanyeol grinned again; when he waved his hands in the air, the room’s atmosphere changed. The room darkened before a small light came from the centre of the room, making Junmyeon turn his head to the source. "Let me tell you about black magic first, with my newest invention."

 

"What's that?"

 

"I call it the Book Reader," Chanyeol proudly said. "You don't have to read the book in a boring way. It will summarize all the words and turn it into a picture. Easier for those who doesn't like reading; someone like the Prince."

 

"Prince?" Junmyeon tilted his head, seeing a projection of black magic words with sentences underneath it.

 

"Yeah, Prince Baekhyun. I told you before that he wants me here, right?"

 

"Oh yeah, you did. Does the Prince ask you to make things for him, then? Is that why you are here?”

 

Chanyeol chuckled, "Not really, he just likes watching me make things. My job is actually to teach him because you see, I'm his tutor."

 

When Junmyeon turned to Chanyeol, he had a serious, almost frightening, expression on his face.  "I thought they have some kind of test for someone to become a royal tutor?"

 

"Yeah," Chanyeol shrugged. "But I think the rules can change. He's the Prince after all."

  
  



	4. Chapter 4

Minseok put on a serious face as he approached the Royal Guard trainees who were on a break. Hearing his approach, ten heads quickly turned in Minseok’s direction and a cheer erupted from the group.  

 

"Minnie-saem!"

 

"Saem is here!"

 

"Hyung, I missed you!"

 

Minseok rolled his eyes, a small smile forming as he drew closer to the men.  "Are you done with break?"

 

“Yes, just now,” said one trainee while the others nodded.

 

"Get back to practice, then. I heard you don't want _you know who_ to teach you."

 

"He's too serious, you know that, hyung," a trainee named Jaehyun whined.

 

"And you're not being serious enough.  Don't you know how many people want this job?"

 

The boys started grumbling to each other and Minseok sighed. He had them line up then began pairing them off. "I'm in a good mood today so you all will fight with me. Three minutes per pair only. I want you all to focus on using the elements that you can't handle well. I want to see that you’re thinking strategically, understand?"

 

"Yes, sir!"

 

Minseok didn't use all of his powers with any of the pairs, but it was obvious which had improved the most and which still needed more practise. Only two out of five made Minseok add some extra power.

 

Minseok had always been good both with elements and with controlling his power. He had great physical strength, not only handed down from his father, but because he’d gained some muscles on his own as well. He knew he wasn’t the type to be sitting behind a desk, so when he was young he had announced to his parents that he wanted to train people. He felt good about encouraging people to know their magic well and use it to help others.

  
  
  


 

 

 

"Good work today." Minseok tried not to smile. He loved seeing his students worn out after a lesson, lying flat on the grass with no energy left. It meant they had done their best. Some people called it  torture though. Kyungsoo told him once, when he’d helped him with his and Jongin’s final exam together, that he was a strict trainer.

 

"Thank you for today, hyung."

 

"That’s what you call practice!"

 

"God, I just want to eat and then go right to sleep!"

 

Minseok chuckled and turned to walk away when he noticed Dongwoo waiting for him.

 

"I still don't get why they love it when you're the one teaching them. You're the type that I hate," Dongwoo said, shaking his head as he watched the worn-out students.

 

"Maybe because they're M’s?"

 

"M?"

 

"Masochists?"

 

Hearing the word, Dongwoo gawked and covered his mouth,. "Minnie! Where did you learn that word? Those kids will be very upset knowing that you're not as innocent as they thought!"

 

Minseok raised his eyebrows. "Innocent? Me?"

 

"They adore you. They think of you as their own brother! I’ve even heard some of them say that they won’t let any prospective boyfriend or girlfriend near you who doesn't live up to their standards."

 

"Excuse me?" Minseok snorted, turning back to the students. "They said that?"

 

"Yeah, I think other people already know about it too. I mean, you're a Kim, who doesn't know you?" Dongwoo smirked, putting an arm around Minseok's shoulder as they started walking away. "Let's eat after you get yourself cleaned up."

 

"Okay." Minseok was still thinking about the information he’d just received. He couldn't believe how loyal and caring his students were. But their standards?

 

Minseok wondered if he would ever meet someone to their liking, since he himself didn’t know what type of person he liked.

  
  
  
  


 

 

"Wait, I need to get Junmyeon first," Minseok said after he finished bathing. Dongwoo was waiting outside the trainer's building, talking with other guards on break.

 

"Where is he?"

 

"With Chanyeol."

 

Dongwoo whistled. "You left him alone there?"

 

"Yeah. Why?" Minseok smiled at the guards as he and Dongwoo passed them on their way to the other side of the Castle.

 

"I never want to get close to his room. I heard you can always hear explosions coming from inside. Junmyeon will be safe, right?”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Great. Then let's eat first, I'm kind of hungry. Aren’t you hungry?"

 

Minseok parted his lips, wanting to say no but his stomach answered before he did. Dongwoo grinned, pushing Minseok in the direction of the dining room.

 

"Fifteen minutes, that’s it," Minseok said.

 

“Why don’t we just pick something up and eat in Chanyeol's room?" Dongwoo suggested.

 

"Good idea."

  
  
  
  


 

 

Dongwoo waved his hand in front of Minseok's face. "You okay?"  

 

Minseok had stopped abruptly outside Chanyeol’s door while Dongwoo crossed the threshold.

 

"Yeah, just, it's never been this clean before," said Minseok, a note of wonder in his voice.

 

Chanyeol laughed, his deep voice booming and eyes crinkling. "Sorry, hyung. But Junmyeon looked scared and I didn't want him to go without getting what he came for. Please, come in." Junmyeon was sitting calmly on the couch, holding a glass full of a yellow drink that looked familiar to Minseok.

 

"We brought you food." Dongwoo smiled, putting the steaming boxes on the coffee table before taking a seat to the left of Junmyeon. Minseok sat beside his brother while Chanyeol brought them drinks.

 

"Thank you," Junmyeon smiled at Dongwoo.

 

"How did it go? Did you get everything that you needed?" Minseok's eyes fell on the papers that covered the table, each filled with Junmyeon’s neat writing. "He didn't do anything dangerous, right?"

 

Junmyeon chuckled. "No. Or at least, he put up a barrier, so I was safe. He's such an interesting person to be honest."

 

"I'm glad to hear it. People usually see me as a freak." Chanyeol put the water jar and some glasses on the table before settling back in his spot. "I’m very happy that you like my inventions. You can come to me if you ever need help building something, Junmyeon-ssi. I'd love to make it just for you."

 

"Where did your stuff go, Chanyeol?" Minseok asked, eyes scanning the room.

 

"Oh, it’s not really gone. I just put a spell on it to make it invisible. I moved everything to the corner of the room so that you wouldn’t get hurt bumping into it." Chanyeol grinned.

 

"That’s very kind of you." Minseok smiled back.

 

“Uhm, can we start eating now? I’m getting pretty hungry over here.” Dongwoo raised his hand, causing Minseok to roll his eyes as he told everyone to eat.

  
  
  
  


 

 

After eating and talking for a bit, music suddenly came from one corner of the room, cutting off all conversation. Chanyeol checked his watch and sighed. He stood, crossing the room in order to turn off the sound.

 

"What is that?" asked Junmyeon curiously.

 

"Time for me to work." Chanyeol scratched his head. "I think it would be better if all of you—"

 

A loud _bang_ came from the door. Three faces turned quickly in that direction, only to see that the heavy door had crashed to the floor. A young man stood where it had been just moments before. He had silky black hair, small eyes, and thin lips; put together, he appeared beautiful. _Even angry he looks adorable,_ Junmyeon thought, noting the narrowed eyes and clenched fists.

 

"You're late," the man grumbled as he walked inside.

 

"I'm sorry, My Prince. I have guests today." Chanyeol raised his hand, creating a barrier around him and the other three.

 

Junmyeon was about to ask something but Minseok put a hand on his thigh. "Just watch."

 

"I don't care! I told you that you couldn’t be late! You promised that you’d show me the new machine that you made! You said 3 p.m. and look at the time now, it's three minutes past three!" the man screamed. The necklace he wore shone briefly before emitting a blast of fire. His eyes widened when the flash hit the barrier and disappeared. "Why did you make a barrier?!" He glared at Chanyeol.

 

"I have guests, Baekhyun."

 

The fire quickly grew stronger. Junmyeon, Minseok, and Dongwoo could no longer see Baekhyun as the barrier now looked like a wall of fire. Dongwoo gulped, asking Minseok in a hushed tone whether they were safe.

 

"I'm sorry. I thought that he would be in a good mood today, but I guess I was wrong," Chanyeol apologized. "He has a temper so it's kind of hard to handle him."

 

Chanyeol made rain fall inside the room, extinguishing the fire. Once the air cleared, they could see Baekhyun drenched from head to toe. His white robe was stuck to his body and his wet hair hung over his eyes.

 

"Park Chanyeol, how dare you!!" Baekhyun screamed. "I swear I'm gonna—"

 

Chanyeol teleported before Baekhyun. His hand was in front of the Prince's face before Baekhyun suddenly lost consciousness, Chanyeol catching him in his arms.

 

"I guess you all can go now. I'm sorry, we’ll talk more next time, Junmyeon." He picked Baekhyun up, bridal style, flashing his guests a small smile. "I need to go take care of the Prince."

  
  
  
  


Dongwoo went back to his work while Minseok and Junmyeon took a walk around the Castle grounds, the older showing Junmyeon his workplace. The field, the Royal Guard’s building, his room and the dining room—Junmyeon was smiling through the entire tour and it was good to see him like that. Minseok made a mental note to  tell Jongin about it later so that the youngest could stop worrying about Junmyeon.

 

“So the prince is very pretty,” Junmyeon said as they took a seat near a large pond. He watched some fish swimming just below the water and smiled.

 

“He is. He’s a brat though.”

 

“Are you close to him?”

 

Minseok shook his head. “No. I heard the story from Chanyeol, the only outsider that Baekhyun wants to talk with. He ignores the guards and all the maids, likes to lock himself on his room, and cause trouble by running away from time to time. He changed after Chanyeol became his tutor. He smiles a lot more and he’s a bit calmer than he used to be. The guards keep updating me about that.” He laughed.

 

“I guess it’s not easy being a prince, is it? You know, the lack of freedom and everything?” Junmyeon hugged his knees, turning to face Minseok.

 

“It’s not freedom that he wants. He wants attention and Chanyeol gives him that. Prince Baekhyun clings to him, orders him around, brings him here and there, and Chanyeol is patient with him. I was surprise, too when first I saw the way Chanyeol keeps his cool around Baekhyun. I’m actually jealous seeing that kind of relationship between members of the royal family and their tutors.”

 

Junmyeon raised his eyebrows. Jealous? Minseok rarely used that word. “Why?”

 

“They just match, all of them. I don’t know how they do it, but they always get the right tutor, every one of them,” Minseok shrugged. “It always ends up well and they’ve shown immense improvement not only in their magic but in their characters as well.”

 

Junmyeon hummed, “That’s really good.”

 

“Talking about good, how about you?” Minseok grinned when Junmyeon groaned. “I’m sorry, but you know how Jongdae and Jongin always come to me when they feel like you need help.”

 

“I don’t need help!”

 

“Okay, do you need someone to talk to?”

 

“I already talked to Jongdae and I’m sure he told you everything,” Junmyeon rolled his eyes, pouting as he turned his gaze back to the pond.

 

“I know, but...did you really tell him _everything?_ ” Minseok whispered, a hand on Junmyeon’s back. “You’ve been using Jongdae’s medicine so you can sleep. Mother and Father are worried, you know.”

 

“How come they—is it Jongin again?”

 

Minseok chuckled. “No. It’s Mother who wheedled the information out of him.” His hand went up to Junmyeon’s hair and ruffled it, annoying the younger who slapped his hand away. “It’s not too late to tell Father that you want to stop.”

 

“I _don’t_ want to stop.”

 

“Stop being stubborn, Jun. We all can see that you’re suffering. We want the best for you. I know Father sees it too, he’s just waiting for you to come to him and tell it to his face that Kim Junmyeon wants to do what he likes.”

 

Junmyeon abruptly stood up, glaring down at him. Minseok held his breath, offering a small, nervous smile.

 

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to,” Minseok whispered.

 

“It’s fine. Can we go back now? I think I want to rest at home.” Junmyeon tightly clenched his hands. Minseok watched as he took long breaths, Junmyeon’s fists clenched tightly by his side.

 

“Okay, let’s go back.” Minseok stood up, walking ahead. He glanced back to see Junmyeon staring down at his feet.

 

Minseok regretted what he had said. He knew Junmyeon wasn’t ready. Junmyeon wouldn’t be ready for a few years and he felt like he was at fault. If only he hadn’t said to their father that he wanted to be a trainer when he was a child, Junmyeon wouldn’t have this burden on his shoulders as the second son.

 

Minseok had no idea how to tell Junmyeon how sorry he was. He could only stay by his side, supporting him on his decision.

 

If only magic could lift Junmyeon’s burdens.

 

  
  
  
  



	5. Chapter 5

Chanyeol gently placed Baekhyun in the Prince’s bed. Swirling his finger, he conjured glass-like chains around Baekhyun’s wrists before casting another spell to wake him up.

 

Baekhyun slowly opened his eyes. He blinked a couple of times before turning to Chanyeol.

 

"I'm sorry." Chanyeol sat next to him, offering him a warm smile.

 

Baekhyun narrowed his eyes but sighed, turning his head away. "Are they gone now?"

 

"Yes, My Prince."

 

"Let go of me and show me that new invention of yours."

 

Chanyeol snapped his fingers and the chains disappeared. Feeling the Prince’s intense gaze, he dropped his gaze to his lap.

 

"Who is he?"

 

"Who, My Prince?"

 

"The one with Kim Minseok."

 

"It's his brother, Kim Junmyeon. He works in the Ministry and he needed information about black magic, so Minseok hyung brought him here."

 

Baekhyun hummed. "Okay." He climbed off the bed and extended his hand. Chanyeol grasped it, letting Baekhyun guide them back to Chanyeol's room.

 

 

***

 

 

Chanyeol remembered the first time he met Baekhyun. It was a year ago, at a showcase for the School of Magic. His machines had received much interest, and he had promised to sell his future inventions. High on a successful event, he had been excitedly leaving when he was pulled into an empty room. Pushed up against the wall, Chanyeol found himself staring into curious, dark eyes.  

 

"What's your name?"

 

The culprit wore a cloak that covered his face, only thin lips and a nose highlighted in the dim light. Chanyeol tilted his head, pushing back the hood to reveal a pretty face belonging to a young man.

 

"Who are you? You don't look like you're a student from this school."

 

The man took a step away, pulling his hood back up, and folded his arms. "No, I’m not. Now, I ask you again, what's your name, dear scientist?"

 

"Park Chanyeol. And you are?"

 

"I want to buy one of your machines and I want it now. Tell me the price of that hypnotizing perfume machine.”

 

Chanyeol scoffed. "I already said that I wouldn’t sell any of my machines yet because they are only for this showcase. It’s not perfect yet and you have to wait for me to make another one before I will sell it. I'm sorry but I have to decline your offer."

 

"How much do you want?"

 

Chanyeol raised an eyebrow. "It's not about money. I just don't want to sell it now."

 

"But I want it," the young man huffed, a slightly whiny tone to his voice.

 

"And I won't sell it, dear not-a-student-from-this-school," Chanyeol chuckled.

 

"Fine. I'll make you sell it to me then. I'll see you soon, Park Chanyeol." The man stalked out of the room, leaving Chanyeol bewildered. _What a weird person._

  
  
  
  
  


A week after that bizarre day, Chanyeol had a visitor from the Castle. He stared dumbly at the letter the visitor presented him, inspecting the royal stamp carefully. "Uh, are you sure this is for me?"

 

"There's your name on the front, sir."

 

"Maybe there’s another Park Chanyeol?"

 

"We’ve already checked and there’s only one Park Chanyeol in this country, sir. Please read the letter. You've been invited to the Castle and I need you to come with me."

 

Chanyeol took a deep breath. The Castle? He slowly opened the letter, blinking wildly as he read it. _His Royal Majesty, the King, requests your presence at the Castle..._

 

"Alright, let me change my clothes first."

 

"I'll be waiting outside." The man bowed before leaving Chanyeol’s home.

 

Chanyeol wore his best suit to the Castle. Once they arrived, he couldn't close his mouth at the sight of the place. It was huge. There were so many towers and the royal gardens were filled with a hundred different flowers and trees.  Chanyeol almost tripped once or twice as he tried to take in everything while following his escort.

 

Chanyeol eventually found himself in the royal library, where the King was waiting. Immediately, he bowed deeply.

 

The King stood up with a warm smile. "It's nice to meet you, Chanyeol."

 

"The pleasure is all mine, Your Highness." Chanyeol straightened slowly, suddenly anxious when he realized it was just him and the King. Nervously, he clasped his hands together.

 

"May I know why you called me here, Your Highness?"

 

"Ah, about that. Please, sit first." The King gestured to the couch across from him.  "Have you heard of the royal tutor competition?"

 

“Yes, Your Highness,” Chanyeol nodded. It was one of the most prestigious competitions in the land, as people gathered far and wide to become tutors for the royal family.

 

The King smiled. "Did you know that I have two sons? The first one already has a tutor while the second has been postponing his studies. I had planned to hold the competition again this year but it seems like he’s already found someone. He ran away from the Castle last week and stayed out all night. He likes to sneak off by himself every once in a while, but I was actually surprised when he came back this time and said that he’d found his tutor."

 

Chanyeol nodded, listening intently.

 

"The reason I called you here is because I want to hire you to become my youngest son's tutor."

 

Chanyeol’s eyes widened, his jaw dropping open. "M-me?"

 

"Yes, you, Park Chanyeol."

 

"B-but how can I teach the Prince? I mean, he's the _Prince_ while I, I’ve never taught anyone before. I want to be honest with you, Your Highness, because I wasn’t a good student when I was in school. My grades weren't that good, just average. My only talent is that I like making things and that's it. I have no qualifications to become a tutor. A tutor has to be smart and I’m not that kind of person." Chanyeol gulped in worry. A tutor? Him?

 

"Can you use magic, Chanyeol?" The King appeared calm, almost amused with a small smile on his lips.

 

"Yes."

 

"Are you good at controlling it?"

 

"Yes, Sire."

 

"Then that's all you need. I don't care if you were not good in school, I don't care about your grades. You can learn all of the subjects before you teach my son. I just need you to have good control of your magic. I heard you're a scientist and I always think that a scientist is great at using their magic because they need to insert it inside their inventions, am I right?"

 

"Yes, Your Highness. But I'm sure there will be someone more qualified to teach your son than me." Chanyeol licked his bottom lip. "I don't want something bad to happen to the Prince because I made mistakes with my teaching."

 

"No one is perfect, Chanyeol. Even me, as a King, I’ve made many mistakes too." The King chuckled. "Do you know how the tutor is selected?"

 

"If they pass all the tests."

 

"That’s right. Do you know which test is the most important?"

 

"Uh...the one where they defeat the Royal Guard?" Chanyeol guessed.

 

"No, no one knows about the true test. It's never been mentioned. The most important test that you have to pass is to get the Family Members' attention." The King tilted his head a little.

 

"If you read the news, not every one of them is a smart man with a great background. There are many people from different jobs who applied to be a tutor and the chosen ones are not the ones with the greatest power. That is because power is not the main characteristic we are looking for. Our family members were the ones who chose them. I don't need to hold another competition because my son already chose you for his tutor. Are you sure you want to decline this offer?"

 

"He will say no."

 

Hearing that familiar voice, Chanyeol quickly turned to see an unmistakably pretty face smirking at him.

 

"Hello again, Park Chanyeol."

 

"Why are you here?" Chanyeol frowned.

 

"I'm sure you have seen my first son, Chanyeol. But my youngest son doesn't like to be in the spotlight so he never shows his face to the public. This is Baekhyun, my youngest son."

 

Chanyeol gaped. Baekhyun walked to his father's side and kissed his cheek.

 

"I'm sorry I'm late, Father," Baekhyun apologized.

 

"It's okay, Son. So, Chanyeol? I'm sure you've meet him before. My son said he didn't have the chance to introduce himself." The King smiled at Chanyeol who finally closed his mouth, his eyes moving to Baekhyun.

 

"Do I have to sell all of my inventions to you?" Chanyeol lowered his voice.

 

"Oh, no. They’re yours. They just need to be moved into a new place and...what do you think of the East tower, Father?" Baekhyun smiled as he turned to his father.

 

"I think that's a good idea. You can choose your own room, Chanyeol. I'm expecting you to begin tutoring Baekhyun next week." The King suddenly turned serious, eyes glinting as he stared down at Chanyeol.

 

"I'm sorry to inform you that you have no right to refuse, Chanyeol. This is a royal order and you _will_ become Baekhyun's tutor. Everything that you need will be provided. I will tell Baekhyun's brother to provide details about your job later because I have a meeting to attend in an hour." The King stood up and Chanyeol followed, still in shock at the news.

 

"I'm hoping to see you at dinner later on. Baekhyun will give you a tour." The King nodded, patting Baekhyun's head before he walked out of the room, passing Chanyeol who bowed deeply.

 

"Are you okay? You look pale."

 

Chanyeol inhaled slowly, his gaze focusing back on Baekhyun.

 

"Chanyeol?" Baekhyun waved his hand, tilting his head and frowning.

 

"Why are you doing this to me?"

 

"I’m sorry?"

 

"I'm not smart. I can't teach you, My Prince. Why did you choose me?" Chanyeol said with a low voice. He closed his eyes for couple of seconds before opening them again. It's not a dream. He's still in the Castle. He met the King and he’s now going to be the Prince’s tutor.

 

He only wanted to live in peace by doing what he loved, by making things. How did this happen to him?

 

"I like your machines. I think they’re interesting and I want to make them too. You know that I won't be King unless something bad happens to my brother, right? I can do anything that I want and I finally found something I want to study after I saw your inventions. You have to be my tutor, Chanyeol! You're mine now, you have to follow everything that I say. My words are an order and you can't say no." Baekhyun folded his arms and lifted his chin.

 

"But My Prince--"

 

"Let's go on a tour now! Which room do you want to choose?" Baekhyun cut off Chanyeol, stepping forwards to slip his arm around Chanyeol. "Or do you want me to choose it for you?"

 

Chanyeol was blinded by the smile the Prince gave him, instantly forgetting his worries about his future. "I-I'm not sure, My Prince."

 

"Let's go and take a look first, then!" Baekhyun said cheerfully, pulling the taller man out of the library with a victorious smile on his lips.

  
  


***

  
  


“I like this, Chanyeol. I don’t have to read all those books from the list that you gave to me.” Baekhyun parted his lips, eyes watching in awe at the scenes playing from a history book about the Royal Family. Chanyeol’s voice commentated as the scene played, explaining about the Royal Family members and all their profiles.

 

Chanyeol grinned widely beside Baekhyun. “I made it for you, My Prince. I knew you wouldn’t be able to finish those books and thought this would make it easier for you to study.”

 

“Thank you,” Baekhyun said, glancing at Chanyeol before staring back at the device.

 

“It’s my job, My Prince.”

 

Baekhyun gulped when he heard those words. His hands clenched into fists, a sudden pain in his chest. “Where did you get the idea?”

 

“When I saw you watching the stars. You always tell me how you want to see many things outside this Castle, another country if possible. It struck me that perhaps you’re the type who learns by seeing and by not reading or listening.”

 

Baekhyun hummed in agreement. He recalled how his father and mother used to teach him by pointing out things and demonstrating his lessons. Chanyeol knew him very well. “I guess I won’t be sleeping tonight. I want to re-watch all of those books.”

 

“You have plenty of time, My Prince. Sleep is more important and I don’t want you to be tired.”

 

“Because it’s your job to take care of me,” Baekhyun whispered.

 

“I’m sorry?” Chanyeol blinked.

 

Baekhyun parted his lips, wanting to say more but he quickly closed them again, shaking his head. “Nothing.”

 

 


	6. Chapter 6

Tao clamped down hard on the towel in his mouth, his hands clenching into fists as his friend pressed against the injury on his back.

 

"Just a little bit more, Tao."

 

Tao only grunted in reply, waiting until the pain slowly reduced to a dull throb before dropping his head into the pillow. His friend got up from his back, climbing down the bed and patting his head.

 

"It looks better now. Don’t forget to drink the medicine, okay?"

 

"Thanks, hyung." Tao smiled at his friend, who waved before leaving the room. He sighed, arching his back a little to check on his injury, and was glad that he didn't feel anything. He sat up to drink his medicine before he lying down again, chest on the mattress and head facing the door. His body felt drained and his eyes were begging him for rest so he closed his eyes and went to sleep.

  
  


***

  
  


Tao jerked his head when he heard a loud bang coming from his door. He blearily opened his eyes to see a young man leaning against the door frame..

 

"Hey, breakfast is ready. Come down and eat." He huffed when Tao only blinked. "Tao hyung?"

 

"Yeah?" Tao pressed his head back into the pillow, humming at the comfortable feeling.

 

"Hyung, you need to eat! We need to go out this noon. Come on!" The man came to Tao's side and tried to pull him up but Tao was much bigger than him. Breathing hard, he only managed to move Tao a few inches.. "Hyunggggg!" he yelled, causing Tao to open his eyes again.

 

"Yeah, yeah. Okay. Sorry." Tao climbed out of the bed slowly but he felt so dizzy at the movement that he almost fell. His friend quickly caught him, grumbling under his breath..

 

"Always. Why can't you wake up by yourself? Why do I need to do this every morning?"

 

Tao didn't say anything, still  sleepy and wanting to crawl back into bed. He stopped his friend when they reached the stairs and let go, rubbing his eyes to help him wake up fully. He thanked the smaller man, who huffed before moving on to wake up others.

 

Entering the kitchen, Tao smiled when a delicious smell filled his nose. The food was ready on the dining table and he took a seat, waiting for the girl with a brown ponytail to serve him.

 

"How's your injury, oppa?" Seungwan tilted her head and handed Tao a bowl of rice.

 

"Much better. Thanks for asking." Tao nodded and waited for the other girl, who had short black hair to bring side dishes to the table. Noticing the bandage wrapped around her arm, Tao frowned. "What happened, Sunyoung?"

 

She followed Tao’s gaze to her arm and sheepishly smiled. "A scratch from the kitten."

 

"Kitten?"

 

"Yeah. JB brought a kitten home yesterday and I played with it. I think I touched her in the wrong place, or maybe she only likes men," Sunyoung shrugged before she walked away, taking the last plate to the table. She sat beside Seungwan and began eating.

 

Shortly after Tao had stuffed his mouth with food, footsteps echoed down the hall and JB entered with Changhyun. Tao grinned when he saw the man who had woken him up.

 

JB went to search for something in a drawer while Changhyun took a seat beside Tao. "The other two would rather sleep than have breakfast. Can you believe that?"

 

Seungwan chuckled. "It's okay, we still have plenty to eat. We managed to run away from the Catcher again after all, right, oppa?"

 

"My wound is the payment though," Tao said with a frown.

 

"That's because you didn't listen to my direction, Tao."

 

Five pairs of eyes turned to their leader Yunho, who was leaning against the wall. He ran a hand through his hair, and Tao could see the distinct tribal tattoo on his left arm.

 

"I'm sorry. I will be more careful next time." Tao pursed his lips.

 

"But it's not you if you don't come back with at least one wound" Yunho chuckled before turning to leave. "Sunyoung, bring me my food in about half an hour."

 

After Yunho was out of sight, Changhyun cleared his throat and nudged Tao with his elbow.

 

"What?" Tao raised an eyebrow at Changhyun, who stared at the stairs, waiting until there was the sound of a door being closed before he exhaled loudly.

 

"Why has Yun hyung been eating alone in his room? Is he not in the mood to eat with us?" Changhyun softly pouted and continued eating, some sauce smearing on the corner of his lips. Seungwan handed him a napkin.

 

"No, he's been working on something, I guess. We almost got caught two weeks ago. I think the Catchers started to see a pattern so Yun hyung’s been thinking of a new strategy. You should be prepared, Changhyun-ah. We have to be very attentive from now on. After all, Tao hyung can’t be hurt again. Look at how many wounds he has.” JB nodded at Tao. “We need to find a real healer, someone who's better than Taecyeon hyung."

 

"Tao is proud of those wounds. I think he does it on purpose, don't you, Tao?" Sunyoung smirked when Tao choked on his food. Used to her teasing, Changhyun just sighed and rubbed Tao’s back.

  
  
  
  


Tao was one of the best fighters in the group. He had learned many martial arts techniques and had an extensive knowledge of weapons. Changhyun was an Elementalist because he had good control over the elements of nature; his powers over water, fire, wind, and earth came in handy during their missions. Seungwan and Sunyoung usually did house chores but they also specialized in defense techinques. They had each other's back, working as if they’re twins. JB was the leader in the field because he had fast reflexes and a good intuition. He was the only member of the group who could do black magic. Every group of Runners usually had at least one black magic user. The Catchers didn’t know that; they thought all Runners were black magic users.

 

Tao had joined the group five years ago when Yunho had found him searching for food in a trash bin. Yunho had mentioned food and a place to sleep, so he hadn’t refused and had followed the man. He never knew he would meet a group of people who used magic to bring trouble to the country. The group might be led by Yunho but he took orders from the big Boss. He was an old man that Tao had only seen once before. He looked like a normal old man but even when he gave a kind smile, Tao had shivered, seeing something ominous in his eyes.

 

Tao trained for two years to improve his dark magic skills. Using the weapons was a great help because he could channel his magic inside a stone and attach it to the weapon, making it easier for him to control his power. His small magic could multiply with any type of weapon he used and he was currently still learning with JB to practise his magic.

 

Tao was thankful that his problems were solved and, on top of that, he got a family that he could trust.

 

Even when he knew what he did was wrong.

  
  
  


***

  
  
  


Tao was reading the new strategy with JB when the front door opened. He looked up to see Kris, the newest member, who had been living with them for three months. He smiled at Kris and he replied with a grin.

 

"Hey. How's your injury?"

 

"Healed already."

 

"Glad to hear it. You need to be careful next time. Where is Seungwan?"

 

JB glanced to Kris and saw the two huge bags in his hand, eyes widening as he stood up and went to him. "Is that the material?"

 

Kris chuckled seeing JB's eyes were full of interest. "It is. But I need to eat first before I show you what these are." He smirked.

 

"Seungwan-ah!! Kris-hyung is home, come here!!" JB shouted, knowing that Seungwan was somewhere on the second floor.

 

Kris dropped the bags slowly on the couch before he went to the dining room to check what food they had. "Is Yunho-hyung here?"

 

"Yeah. In his room. Sleeping, I guess. We just got the new strategy he made." JB followed Kris but sat on the dining table. Tao joined seconds after, with Seungwan trailing behind.

 

"Kris-oppa! Did you buy what I asked you?" She bounced on her steps, hugging Kris from behind.

 

"Yeah. It's in the bag. Can I get some food please? I didn't have time to buy anything on my way back." He turned his body and hugged Seungwan back. "What strategy are you talking about?" He let go of the girl and went to JB's side, taking the papers Tao handed him, eyes scanning the content.

 

"Wow."

 

"Yes, wow. How are we gonna do it? This has so much to prepare." JB bit his nail and Tao's hand reached out to pull his hand away. JB smiled when he realized he’d done his bad habit again.

 

"We will be fine. Don't worry about it, we always find a way to get what Yunho-hyung wants." Kris leaned back a little when Seungwan put down his food. "Thank you."

 

"You're welcome."

  
  
  
  
  


After Kris finished eating, the other members asked him about his mysterious bags. They finally headed to the living room where the three sat prettily on the couch, Kris himself on the carpet to unpack the bags easier.

 

"Here's for Seungwan. It was so hard for me to find this so please, eat it little by little." Kris gave a small package to Seungwan who cheered.

 

"Oh my god, it's chocolate! Seung, how come you ask Kris-hyung to find that for you?" JB pointed to Seungwan, his eyes narrowing.

 

"Give me some." Tao leaned to Seungwan to take a closer look.

 

"Why? I love this. This is expensive and it's been months since I ate any." Seungwan carefully opened one bar and shared it out with Tao and JB. Kris refused when the girl wanted to feed him, saying that he's full.

 

"I got these from the boss. He said he hired a scientist and told us to read the manual and follow it. These are expensive." Kris put down one medium sized box from the bag. "He prepared this for us, one each."

 

Tao, Seungwan, and JB held their breaths when they saw what was inside the box.

 

Six deep blue stones lined up neatly in a row. The light was reflecting off the stones, making them shine and show their brilliant color. The three had both mouth and eyes wide opened, not able to believe what they could see.

 

"Oh."

 

"Wow."

 

"That's--"

 

"Yeah, Lapis Lazuli. We need to train ourselves using these rare stones. The controlling will be very hard when we attach these inside of--" He put down the box and showed two large boxes inside the bag. He opened one of them. "These weapons."

 

JB moved onto the carpet, wanting to see it closer. "These are from the scientist?"

 

"These are not normal weapons. Boss said the scientist made small yet big modifications so that they won't break when we insert the special gems inside. According to the list, the revolver is for JB, while Seungwan and Sunyoung get the pistols." Kris took out a piece of paper from his pocket and frowned while reading it.

 

JB took the revolver that Kris gave to him, feeling the weight. "It's kind of light."

 

Kris chuckled seeing the way JB look interested in his new gun. His eyes were shining as his hand gently grazed the surface of his weapon. He gave the pistol to Seungwan who tried to hide her smile as she looked at the new weapon that was specially made for her.

 

"This is yours, Tao." Kris handed a long wooden box to Tao.

 

Tao opened the box and a grin came to his lips when he saw the sight of a brand new recurve bow. He inspected his new weapon and saw the pretty carving on the side of the bow. It looked like it was handmade. He checked the one Seungwan held and saw a different carving. "Seems like this is the scientist’s signature."

 

"What is?" Kris read his list once again to make sure there weren’t any mistakes.

 

"The carving? It's pretty."

 

Kris checked the one that belonged to him and smiled when he saw it. It was indeed pretty. "Let's practise Yunho-hyung's strategy with these. I'm sure it's going to be fun."

 

The three others didn’t share the same thoughts, as they all groaned out loud.

  
  


***

  
  


The next morning all of the members that were at the house came out to the back yard. They were going to practise the new formation that Yunho had designed.

 

Changhyun was jumping on his feet, listening to Kris' instructions. Tao and JB stayed still while the two girls whispered something to each other.

 

"Tao, you'll be on defence this time and the girls will be the ones attacking. Changhyun and JB will stay behind the girls and I'll be with you in the back. I already put out the new shooting targets but before we head there, let's try our weapons first." Kris made a space, hand lifted up to form a barrier around himself, and the others followed.

 

"Who's first?" asked Tao.

 

"Changhyun."

 

Changhyun took a deep breath as he held his new bow. It seemed to make him nervous; holding a much lighter bow in his hands than he was used to.

 

They had all already attached the Lapis Lazuli, getting ready to use the power that they had never controlled before.

 

Changhyun whispered a spell before he made a shot and fire slowly wrapped over the arrow. The arrow reached one of the nearest trees, burning it in seconds. The fire didn’t stop there as it rapidly moved to the next tree, shocking Changhyun who hadn’t thought the fire would still be alive. He quickly made another shot with his water arrow, to stop the fire.

 

"Okay, that's...scary," he said, seeing that four trees were gone in less than a minute.

 

"How do you feel? The power?" JB asked.

 

"I don't feel anything. I use only a little magic. That fire that came out is equal to what would happen when I have three, maybe four people in front of me." Changhyun stared down at his weapon, a confused look on his eyes.

 

Kris inhaled silently. He didn’t know the stone could be _that_ powerful. They could easily beat the Catchers this time.

  
  
  
  
  
  


After all of them got their turns, Tao and Seungwan were still in shock from their powers that got a little out of hand while the others got excited about it. Kris squatted down beside Tao, ruffling his hair. "You only need practise. It's okay. You too, Seungwan."

 

Seungwan made a pout, her eyebrows knitted. She stared at the pistol on her hands and sniffed.

 

"Seungwan-ah, don't cry." Tao pulled the girl into his chest, rubbing her hair as Seungwan started to cry silently.

 

"Do you want to take a break? You can go back first if you want, Seungwan." Kris smiled as Seungwan turned her head to him. "Do you want me to bring you back?"

 

Seungwan nodded silently, letting go of Tao and taking Kris's hand, who helped her stand up.

 

"Continue practising. I'll be back in a minute," Kris said to Tao before vanishing with Seungwan.

 

Tao stood up, going with JB, Changhyun, and Sunyoung to practise again.

  
  
  
  
  
  


Kris smiled to Seungwan who's sitting at the dining table, hands wrapped around the mug of tea that he’d made her. "You okay now?"

 

"Can’t I just use my old weapon?" Seungwan glanced up at Kris. "I don't want to hurt any of you and I know if I can't control this, that that is bound to happen." She’d almost hurt Changhyun earlier as she couldn’t control her power and it had broken through Changhyun’s barrier. It was a good thing that Changhyun had acted quickly and nothing had happened to him.

 

"Do you want to practice alone then? Or with Yunho hyung?"

 

"He's busy."

 

Kris shook his head. "I'll talk to him to make some time for you."

 

"Okay then."

 

"Great. I'll go back and teach them now. Go and take a rest if you want." Kris ruffled Seungwan’s hair, relieved when Seungwan gave him a smile.

  
  
  
  


Instead of teleporting to the rest of the members, Kris walked slowly, thinking of his next strategy.

 

He was undercover from the Ministry, and for a month he’d tried his best to gain Yunho's trust before he could even join the group. He was one of the attackers, yet he tried not to show his true power. He was quite good at controlling it, and that was one of the reasons the Ministry had let him do this job; they knew he wouldn’t get into any trouble with his magic.

 

He hadn't figured out the Runners’ purpose yet; all that he knew was that Yunho took orders from someone else. Yunho was the one who made the strategies and plans and Kris admitted that Yunho had talent for it. It must have been the reason why he was appointed as the leader.

 

The other members were young but the power they had was no joke. He could see how their Catchers always lost their battles with Runners. Kris actually had to give away small bits of information about Catchers, bringing advantages to the Runners to help them win over them. He knew the more injured Catchers meant that the Ministry would train their Catchers harder and better. The stronger the Catchers, the more they could win against Runners in the end.

 

He had another thing to worry about, though, and that's the man who was currently replacing him. He had heard the rumours about Kims; that they're all well capable of doing their jobs. But Kris wouldn't believe the rumors just like that. He needed proof, and he’d already gave orders to the man named Junmyeon. He had to wait for his replies to know if he was the right person or not.

 

Kris had been disappointed by many people before and he hoped this Kim Junmyeon wouldn't let him down.

 

He was a Kim after all.

 

And Kims never disappoint.

  
  



	7. Chapter 7

Kyungsoo jumped when an arm wrapped around his shoulders, and he turned his head to see a warm, cheeky smile. "Luhan hyung!"

 

"Hey, Soo. How are you?" Luhan hugged Kyungsoo, grinning at his friend’s laugh.

 

"I'm fine. I missed you so much, hyung. You’ve been busy, eh? It's been a month since the last time we met." Kyungsoo pulled away, holding Luhan's hand, and tugged him towards the cafeteria for lunch.

 

"Yes. We’re currently making new rules for teachers at the school of magic," Luhan said.

 

"No news about the tutoring requirement, I guess?" Kyungsoo pursed his lips.

 

"Nope. They won't get rid of it, Kyungsoo. You know that it's a good thing to do, a benefit that our students get. You wouldn’t have met Jongin if it weren’t for the tutoring requirement, just like me with Sehun."

 

Kyungsoo sighed, "I know, but I'm still bitter about it. I don't know why."

 

They arrived at the large hall, which was already full of Catchers, Trainers, and staff. Kyungsoo scanned the room but couldn’t find Jongin. He had run into Jongin that morning and learned that Junmyeon had taken a day off, which meant they wouldn’t be eating lunch in his office as usual.

 

Once they’d gotten their lunches, Kyungsoo and Luhan searched for a table, eventually choosing one at the very back corner of the room where there weren’t as many people.

 

"I heard there will be a lot of new Catchers in this batch?" Luhan asked as they sat down.

 

"Where did you hear that?” Kyungsoo frowned. “There are a number of potentially good Catchers, but we might  need to raise our standards. Our main concern is choosing those who can really protect themselves and work well in a team so that they can avoid injuries. We will train them harder and see who shows the most potential." Kyungsoo tasted his food and hummed; it wasn’t that bad but he preferred Junmyeon’s cooking.

 

Noticing Luhan hadn’t touched his food, Kyungsoo motioned to his plate. "Are you feeling unwell again?"

 

Luhan shook his head with a smile. "I'm fine. I'll finish this, don't worry."

 

Kyungsoo frowned. Luhan was his best friend, someone he could trust and depend on. After everything Kyungsoo had gone through, escaping an abusive aunt and seeking safety in Luhan’s house, Luhan had become his most precious friend. It was worrying to see him like this.  

 

"Okay," Kyungsoo smiled, not wanting to force Luhan. When Luhan got stressed, he often got nauseous and couldn’t eat. When they used to live together, Kyungsoo would make a potion to alleviate his friend’s sickness.

 

"How's Jongin? Is there any progress?"

 

Kyungsoo just snorted in response but Luhan pushed on.

 

“Really? Nothing? How long have you been in a relationship with him again?"

 

"Luhan, don't talk about _that_ here." Kyungsoo lowered voice even though there was no one close enough to hear them. Many people already knew that he was close with Jongin, but Kyungsoo didn't want them to know the full extent of their relationship. Kyungsoo told Jongin not to be touchy when they were at work and no one had found out about them so far.

 

"But I'm bored," Luhan pouted. "He's been holding himself back all this time, don't you pity that handsome man?"

 

"I'm sorry, I'm not like you who made out _everywhere_ in the house, conveniently forgetting that you didn't live alone," Kyungsoo gritted his teeth. He had caught Luhan and Sehun being _very_ intimate more times than he could count, yet he never grew any more used to it, still blushing profusely every time he came across them in the midst of a rated scene.

 

"Oh, come on. It's a good thing that I don't have sex when you visit." Luhan grinned. "I can't help that my boyfriend is hot and that I want him to fuck me."

 

Kyungsoo choked on his food. He was not comfortable with such strong language either, and Luhan always made fun of him, whispering filthy things in Kyungsoo’s ear only to laugh when his friend’s cheeks turned bright red.

 

"Luhan hyung!" he hissed.

 

"I just want you to know that he might not be able to keep himself under control and find release somewhere else, you know? I care about you, Kyungsoo."

 

"I already helped him with that," Kyungsoo said, trying to sound casual. The tips of his ears turned red and Luhan bit his lips, trying not to laugh.

 

"Uh-huh?"

 

"Yes, I did, so you don’t need to worry! Now please, just drop the topic!"

 

"What topic?"

 

Kyungsoo jumped in his seat when Jongin was suddenly appeared beside him, greeting Luhan with a high five.

 

"It's about you," Luhan smiled sweetly.

 

"What about me?"

 

"Luhan hyung." Kyungsoo gave Luhan a pleading look.

 

Luhan laughed, clearly enjoying the look on both Kyungsoo and Jongin’s faces. "Nothing, I'm just kidding. Oh, Sehun said he wants to meet with you, Jongin. He said he got a call from the Castle."

 

"Castle?" Jongin took Kyungsoo's spoon, taking a bite of his food before giving it back.

 

"Yeah. Something about his family business,” Luhan shrugged. "He hadn't give me any details."

 

"Where's he right now?"

 

"Locked away in his workroom," Luhan answered, pursing his lips.

 

Kyungsoo laughed, knowing how intense Sehun was when he was working. Even Luhan couldn’t make Sehun stop once he was seriously engaged in his work.

 

The Oh family were Artisans and the family business had been passed down by Sehun’s great grandfather. Sehun had taken a liking towards gems early on and he had been all too eager to carry on the family heritage, unlike Jongin and his brothers who refused to obey their father when he wanted them to follow in his footsteps.

 

 

"I miss Sehun a lot. Please tell him that he can come and visit me whenever he has time. I’m curious as to why he got a call from the Castle. Do you think Minseok hyung knows?" Jongin asked Kyungsoo.

 

"He should be, he lives there, right?"

 

"I don't have a good feeling, whatever it is. I keep hearing colleagues talking about the Catchers in a way that’s making me very uneasy." Luhan narrowed his eyes. "You guys need to produce some amazing Catchers, ASAP."

 

"We already know that. Stop pressuring us," Kyungsoo whined with a sigh, taking Jongin's hand under the table and squeezing it. His eyes once again fell on Luhan's food, and pointed to it with his free hand. "Hyung, eat."  

 

Luhan grinned as he picked up his fork and slowly began eating. He switched the topic back to Jongin and Kyungsoo’s progress, making both men blush.

 

 

 

***

  
  


 

Sehun was working when he heard a knock on the door. He turned his head to see Luhan waving at him. He smiled, waving his hand to open the door for Luhan.

 

Luhan entered the room with a grin, dropping his bag on the floor. "Hey."

 

"Hey." Sehun moved his chair a little and spread his arms wide, welcoming Luhan into his lap. Sehun smiled again when Luhan kissed him, combing his fingers through Luhan’s black hair. "Hungry?"

 

Luhan scrunched his nose. "No. Kyungsoo forced me to eat at lunch."

 

"Kyungsoo hyung?"

 

"Yeah, I met him and Jongin today. I told them about the invitation from the Castle." Luhan tucked his head into Sehun’s neck, sighing when his boyfriend rubbed his back. "How is your work?"

 

"I'm currently placing my signature on the weapons."

 

"Yeah?"

 

"Mmhm. The books I ordered finally arrived today."

 

"That’s good." Luhan shifted. He wrapped his arms around Sehun, pressing sideways against his chest and resting his head on Sehun’s broad shoulder. "I'm tired."

 

"You have to change your clothes first and eat before you go to sleep. What juice flavor do you want?" Sehun kissed Luhan’s forehead, smiling when Luhan slowly opened his sleepy eyes.

 

"Anything. I just want to sleep..."

 

"Are you okay? How's work?"

 

"It's fine. I took tomorrow off. I want to go with you to the Castle." Luhan’s smile turned into a frown. "That's okay, right?"

 

"Of course. I'm happy you're going with me. Let's get you to bed then." Sehun stood up carefully with Luhan in his arms. He brought Luhan to their bedroom and helped him change. Sehun brought Luhan a glass of juice and tucked him in with a goodnight kiss.

 

"Don't stay up too late. What time are we going tomorrow?" Luhan asked while holding onto Sehun’s hand.

 

"I just want to clean up a bit and I'll join you after. I think we’re leaving around nine?"

 

"Okay."

 

"Night, Lu."

 

Luhan whispered a good night. He closed his eyes and almost immediately fell asleep.

 

Sehun watched Luhan's face in repose for a few minutes. His brow furrowed as he rubbed the back of Luhan's hand with his thumb.

  
  
  


Luhan hadn’t been in the best state when they had first met. He had refused to talk for years, only communicating with his friends through sign language. Sehun had later found out that Luhan had suffered from harsh bullying at his previous school, and the entire experience had terrified him. But Sehun had refused to leave his side, joining him the library every day and later becoming Luhan’s tutee. For two years, he tried to help Luhan, to help him heal and maybe even talk again. There had been some difficult times, like when Luhan lashed out in anger or fear, and Sehun had considered giving up more than once, but he couldn’t. Not when he loved Luhan so much.

And in the end, Luhan had finally uttered his first words to Sehun. _I love you._

  
  
  


Watching his boyfriend’s sleeping face, Sehun slowly let go of Luhan's hand. He was glad that Luhan at least had some lunch. Luhan always had trouble eating when he was under stress. Sehun made sure that his boyfriend never skipped a meal, not wanting Luhan to get sick.

 

Sehun picked up the glass and headed toward the kitchen. After cleaning his workroom, he washed up, changed his clothes, and joined Luhan in bed. He pulled Luhan against his chest and quickly fell asleep. Tomorrow was going to be a long day.

  
  



	8. Chapter 8

Sehun groaned. It had been a late night and he wanted nothing more than to catch a few more minutes of sleep, but something kept shaking him. Reaching out, he slapped around until he caught a hand. There was a chuckle when he grumbled loudly.

 

"Wake up, sleepyhead. It's already eight," Luhan said, bending down to give Sehun a peck on the forehead.

 

"Really? Ugh..." Sehun sat up, rubbing his temple before sliding off the bed and blearily heading for the bathroom.

 

"I made you breakfast." Luhan followed Sehun but stopped in the doorway, tilting his head when Sehun’s sleepy eyes met his in the mirror.

 

"Are you gonna eat with me?"

 

"Yep! I'm hungry so don't take too long, Hunnie." Luhan grinned, waving at him before he turned away. Sehun smiled, humming to himself as he stepped into the shower.

  
  
  
  
  
  


When they reached the Castle, Luhan tried to stay calm but his eyes grew large and Sehun could tell he was excited. They didn't have time to explore though, as they were immediately guided to the entrance hall and told to wait there. Luhan grinned when the royal guard left them.

 

“This is amazing,” Luhan whispered. “I’m so glad I took the day off for this.”

 

Sehun and Luhan turned when one of the doors off the hall opened. A man wearing a grey robe with an emblem on his chest entered, smiling politely to them.

 

Sehun bowed to the man. He knew that the robe was the formal uniform of a Trainer; Kyungsoo and Jongin had similar ones but in dark blue.

 

"Nice to meet you both. My name is Minseok. I will be guiding you to the scientist's room and explain why you're here on our way. Please follow me." Minseok gestured.

 

Sehun took a few steps before realizing Luhan wasn’t by his side. Turning around, he walked back to Luhan and gently touched his shoulder. “Lu?”

 

"Ah?” Luhan jumped, startled. “Yes, sorry."

 

"What is it?" Sehun whispered and held Luhan’s hand, following Minseok through the door.

 

"I think I heard the name before," Luhan frowned, trying hard to remember.

 

"By the way, it's been a long time. You’ve grown so much, Sehun." Minseok turned and walk backwards slowly, a small smile on his face.

 

"I'm sorry?"

 

"You don't remember me, do you? I'm Jongin's brother," Minseok chuckled.

 

Sehun blinked. _Jongin's brother? How many brothers does Jongin have again?_

 

"Oh, I remember! You're that strict trainer, right?" Luhan suddenly said. Realizing how rude he sounded, he grimaced. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—"

 

Sehun faced-palmed. Right, of course. Jongin did tell him about his eldest brother who worked in the Castle. How could he forget? They’d been best friends for years, but Sehun rarely went to Jongin’s house. Jongin was the one who always came to Sehun’s place, saying that there was nothing interesting to do at home.

 

Minseok laughed, shaking his head. "It's okay. I'm used to that. Kyungsoo even said it many times, right to my face. You're Kyungsoo’s best friend, right? What's your name again, Lu..."

 

"I'm Luhan." He grinned. "I'm really sorry. You don't look that scary in my opinion."

 

"As long as you're not my student, you won't see my scary side." Minseok turned towards a long staircase and the two followed.

 

"May I ask why the Castle called me?" Sehun asked.

 

"Ah, right. I'm sure you've heard the news about our injured Catchers. Some people from the Department of Defense were discussing strategies for lowering the rate of Catcher injuries, and one of them had a brilliant idea. You’ll be working on a project related to it alongside our scientist."

 

"Why is there a scientist in a Castle?" Luhan spoke up.

 

"Oh, I think it'll be better if you heard it from the scientist himself." Minseok made a turn to the right and they faced a large wooden door. "This is the east wing, and here is our scientist’s room. Please prepare yourself for—"

 

Before Minseok could finish, a loud explosion sounded from behind the thick door. Luhan jumped and Sehun widened his eyes.

 

"—an explosion," Minseok sighed. "Park Chanyeol!"

 

More loud sounds could be heard from behind the door before it opened. A tall man with a wide grin came into view, his long bangs sweeping over his right eye. "I'm sorry. I did make the barrier, okay?"

 

"I can see that. Sehun and Luhan are here, so please, clean up your room."

 

Chanyeol nodded, closing the door for several seconds before he came back and invited them in. "Please, come in."

 

Feeling a tug on his shirt, Sehun glanced at Luhan to flash him a reassuring smile. “It’ll be fine,” he whispered. They carefully followed Minseok inside and settled on some couches.

 

"Don't be amazed that it's clean. He cast a spell to make it look like this. The real room is so messy you’ll probably bump into things all the time,” Minseok said as he closed the door behind them. “Why don't you throw some stuff out, Chanyeol-ah?"

 

"Because you never know when you might need something!" Chanyeol defended himself, preparing drinks for his guests.

 

Minseok shook his head, taking a seat across from Sehun. "Let's get started. Are you ready?"

 

"Yes. I can't wait," Sehun smiled.

 

"Great. The project that I was talking about earlier is for a weapon to fight Runners. With weapons it'll be easier to target them and requires less energy than just using your stones. The problem is, making weapons isn’t easy; you can't just attach the stones that you already wear inside the weapon. You have to make another new stone to match the weapon, right?"  

 

Sehun nodded. Those who had magic got their first stone at birth and used it until they enrolled in the school of magic. After many years of using their birthstone, children gave up their stones in exchange for special bracelets that had different stones embedded in them. In their first year of school, they had to determine which stone matched with their powers. Once that was decided, the students received their personal gemstones. These stones were expensive, so it was difficult to have many of them. The number of stones one could carry also depended on a person’s job or position.

 

Moreover, attaching a stone inside a weapon was another level of work. Weapon materials had to match perfectly with the stone; otherwise, the weapons would be difficult to control and eventually the stone would break. Just like that, so much time and work could be wasted, which was why gemstone cutting and weapons making were considered to be invaluable skills. They required years of practice, and Sehun had learned the craft from a young age. But his specialty was gemstone cutting, while his brother had focused on weapons making. With the arrival of a new child, Sehun’s brother had suddenly passed weapons making onto Sehun.

 

"Your family are famous Artisans, that's why we chose you," Minseok said.

 

Sehun parted his lips, thinking of what to say. Weapons? For Catchers? "Uh, just how many weapons are we talking about? There's no way I can make many of them in a short time period. My brother usually makes the weapons so..."

 

"Not many, around five or six? I heard that the Department of Defense will choose the best Catchers to guard the Castle later on." Minseok took out some papers from his pocket, setting them on the table. "Here are some rough sketches. Tell us what you need and we’ll provide it. You will be working with Chanyeol here. He’s made a lot of machines, so we hope you both can add some modifications or other things that we couldn't think of—something to help Catchers win against Runners."

 

"Okay, let's see." Sehun let out a deep sigh. He felt Luhan lean against him, trying to read the papers over his shoulder.

 

Chanyeol brought drinks to the table and took a seat beside Minseok. "Sehun needs to teach me though. I have no idea when it comes to weapons or gemstones."

 

Luhan looked up from the documents to stare at Chanyeol, smiling at him. “May I know why you’re working in the Castle, Chanyeol-ssi?”

 

"Oh, it's a long story but to be short, I'm the Prince's tutor," Chanyeol grinned.

 

Luhan gasped, turning to Minseok.

 

"He is Prince Baekhyun's tutor," Minseok confirmed.

 

"Oh my god, really? But wait, I never heard about Prince Baekhyun’s tutor competition, did I miss it?"

 

"There was no competition because he had already chosen me." Chanyeol shyly scratched his head.

 

"You're so lucky, Chanyeol-ssi. Many people would like to be in your position."

 

"It depends on what you consider lucky, actually…" Chanyeol mumbled.

 

"Okay, I think it will take around two or three months." Sehun finally looked up from the papers. "It'll be faster if we have more people, but as you know, not everyone can make weapons or stones. Can't you hire another Artisan?"

 

"They don't want a lot of people to be involved. There are many risks to consider. They chose you because they trust you to keep it a secret. May I ask if your brother is still busy?" Minseok asked.

 

"Yes. He already has many orders, too, so I hope he still can help and guide me through the process." Sehun folded the papers and put them inside his pocket. "What else do I need to know?"

 

"Chanyeol," Minseok cued.

 

Chanyeol worriedly glanced at Minseok. "Uh, yeah. It's, uh, they said it would be easiest if you stay here. I mean, like I said, you need to teach me about some— _many_ —things about weapons and gemstones. I already have a couple of ideas about the weapons, but I'm not sure if you can build them the way I’m imagining them to be or if my designs will even work."

 

"We won’t force you to stay here, Sehun. It's just a suggestion," Minseok added with a smile.

 

Sehun almost agreed to the arrangement before remembering that Luhan needed him. He couldn't leave Luhan alone at the house. He was sure his boyfriend would miss his meals, and Sehun knew he wouldn’t be able to work if he was constantly worrying about Luhan.

 

"It's okay, Sehun." Luhan flashed him a smile, as if he could read the hesitation in Sehun’s eyes. "I can take care of myself."

 

"No, you can't." Sehun shook his head before turning to Minseok, "Can Luhan stay with me?"

 

"Sehun, they can't do that. You're the only one that they need." Luhan grabbed Sehun’s hand, narrowing his eyes.

 

"Actually, that would be fine. We can arrange that. Anything that you need will be provided, and if you need Luhan to stay with you, then yes. I will prepare the room for the both of you tomorrow," Minseok smiled.

 

Luhan was stunned while Sehun had a huge grin on his face. "Great. Now that that’s settled, I can't wait to see what weapon ideas Chanyeol-ssi has in mind."

 

 


	9. Chapter 9

Jongdae sat huddled on his bed, legs pressed to his chest and eyes wide open in the dark. He wanted to talk with his brothers so badly, but at the same time he wanted to kept his secret to himself. He knew his brothers would understand, but he was also scared that one of them would judge him. Jongdae had never kept a secret from his brothers before, and the guilt kept him up at night.

 

He had just returned from a mission that had ended early on the Ministry’s orders. Jongdae should have plenty of time to rest before the next job but after what happened in the last three days, sleep escaped him. He had met someone.

 

Someone that he shouldn't have approached or talked to.

  
  
  
  
  
  


Three days ago, Jongdae got lost. It was dark and raining hard when a team member had been leading him to an injured Catcher. The guide had moved too fast, quickly losing Jongdae in the forest.

 

He was waiting under a big tree, thinking of going back or trying to search for his teammates, when he heard a voice. His heartbeat quickened and he desperately recalled spells to cast should something dangerous be by nearby.

 

He jumped to his feet when a man suddenly dropped in front of him, groaning out loud as he fell out of the tree.

 

 _"Arrgghhh..."_  the man curled up on the ground, clutching his stomach.

 

Jongdae gulped, not making a move. Should he run away? Should he wait? It seemed like the man hadn’t noticed Jongdae yet.

 

"Damn it. I'll get scolded for being careless again..." The man slowly stood up, and Jongdae realized just how tall he was. The man towered over him.

 

Jongdae knew he would lose if he tried to fight the man. The man was well-built and running wasn't an option. What should he do?

 

His eyes fell on the dark patch around the center of the man's shirt. Jongdae unconsciously moved forward. "Are you okay?"

 

The man jumped, finally noticing Jongdae as he raised his left hand, as if ready to cast a spell. "Who are you?!" His cat-like eyes narrowed, trying to see in the dark and through the falling rain.

 

"I-I'm no one. I-I just ran away from home and got lost," Jongdae quickly lied.

 

"You're from the town?"

 

"Yes. What are you doing here? A-are you okay? You look hurt." Jongdae bravely took another step forward.

 

The man went silent for a moment. He scanned Jongdae from head to toe as Jongdae waited, staring down at himself. Jongdae wore black from head to toe, a basic rule for Catchers as they needed to blend in with the dark.

 

"I'm trying to run away from _something,_ " the man said as he looked around. Frowning, he turned back to Jongdae."Come with me." He grabbed Jongdae’s hand, dragging him through the forest as they ran between the trees.

 

A few minutes later, they arrived at a small cabin and Jongdae quickly pulled his hand out of the man’s grasp. Was it safe? He was alone with a stranger; anything could happen and he had to be careful.

 

"Gahhh..." the man groaned, turning on the fireplace before he leaned heavily against the wall. His breaths came out in ragged gasps, his eyes clenched shut. Jongdae could see that the man was tightly clutching his stomach. Gulping, he slowly approached the man.

 

"Let me see it."

 

The man opened his eyes, staring at Jongdae. "What?"

 

"Let me see your wound." Jongdae repeated. He knew there was a big possibility that the man was a Runner and that he could be killed at any moment, but Jongdae couldn’t stand to see people hurt. He was trained to heal people, not let them suffer. "I can heal you."

 

The man raised an eyebrow but he slowly let go of his stomach, letting Jongdae get closer to inspect his wound. Lifting the man’s shirt, Jongdae could see that the wound was rather deep. From what he could tell, it looked like a fire wound, something he had seen before.

 

Jongdae almost reached into his pocket for medicine, but thinking the man might get suspicious,  he put his hand above the wound, closing his eyes and concentrating to gather his magic into his hand.

 

The man silently watched, breaths slowly evening out. It took Jongdae five minutes to heal the wound. Satisfied with his work, he began pulling his hand back when the man suddenly grabbed his wrist.

 

"What's your name?"

 

"W-what?"

 

"Your name."

 

"My name? My name is—" Jongdae gulped, pausing for a second. "J-jonghyun."

 

"Jonghyun?"

 

Jongdae nodded, wrist burning under the man’s touch. He forgot that both of them were drenched and he shivered a little. "I-I guess we should dry ourselves," he whispered.

 

"Right. Thank you for your help, Jonghyun. I owe you one." The man let go of Jongdae's hand. "Can you make a wind? I'm not very good at it."

 

Jongdae frowned but did without asking. He made the wind swirl around them, and feeling how cold it was, created a bigger fire. Moving away, he could feel the man’s gaze on him.

 

"Stop giving me that look. I won't do anything to you," the man said after Jongdae stopped his wind, their clothes still slightly damp but better than before. "My name is Tao," the man introduced himself, voice softer.

 

Jongdae nodded, hands intertwining together as he tried to calm himself.

 

"You said you're lost?" Tao asked.

 

"Yes."

 

"Do you want me to show you the way back to the town? After the rain stops, of course," Tao offered with a slight chuckle.

 

"I'm fine."

 

"I insist. I can only repay you with that. I have no money or anything on me, Jonghyun-ssi."

 

Jongdae bit his lip. It was weird, almost comical, to be called Jonghyun. "Okay, then," he agreed.

  
  
  
  
  
  


Jongdae watched the fire flicker as Tao moved to lie on the wooden floor.

 

Jongdae worried that his group was searching for him. Will they find him? What if they see Tao? He was sure Tao would get more injured since he was alone, without his own group and—

 

Jongdae blinked. Did he just worry about Tao? A possible Runner who brought danger to the country?

 

"Hey, Jonghyun?" Tao called out.

 

"Y-yeah?"

 

"Why do you run away from home?"

 

Jongdae gulped, hand rubbing his thigh slowly. "I got into a fight with my parents. They want me to work in the Ministry but I don’t want that. I want to help normal people, making my own small shop, you know?"

 

"You should talk about it with them after they cool down a bit."

 

"I'm not sure they will understand."

 

Tao moved to his side, facing Jongdae. "Maybe they will change their minds since you ran away. They're still your parents and they love you. You have to be in a good relationship with them while they're still alive."

 

Jongdae caught the way Tao's voice wavered at the end. "Did your parents...?"

 

"Yeah. They died in an accident." Jongdae’s breath hitched at Tao’s soft smile. He didn't look as scary as before.

 

"I'm sorry."

 

"It's okay."

 

Jongdae looked down at his lap. "How did you get hurt?" Glancing up, he saw that Tao didn’t look surprised at the question.

 

"Just a regular fight with my friends."

 

"You fight with your friends?" Jongdae snorted inside. Tao was a bad liar.

 

"Uh, yeah. It's for practise, you know?"

 

Jongdae smiled, "Okay."

 

Tao narrowed his eyes at his smile and quickly sat up. "Hey, what's with the smile? You don't believe me, do you?"

 

"It doesn't matter, does it?" Jongdae shrugged.

 

Tao pursed his lips. "Well, no. But it's not like I can tell you why I got this injury even if I'm thankful to you," Tao sighed. "What shop do you want to make again?" he asked, trying to change the subject.

 

"Just a small shop to sell potions for normal people or something like that. I don't want it to be too much of a burden just because I can do magic." Jongdae was almost impressed with how well he was lying.

 

"Nice. If only I were good at magic, I would do that too. You see, I learned magic when I was around fifteen so my magic level is about the same as that of  the students from The Magic School. Those kids might even better than me." Tao grinned ruefully, his finger tracing random patterns on the floor.

 

"Is that why you lost a fight to your friend?" Jongdae chuckled.

 

"Not really. We are fighting in groups so I have my back covered. It's just that this time the enem—I mean, the other group is much stronger than usual. I think it's because they practised more."

 

 _Enemy? He's surely talking about Catchers, right?_ "Practise makes perfect, is what they say. I'm sure you'll improve."

 

"Thanks," Tao grinned. "Have you always been good at healing? I mean, you healed me quite fast. Even my friend who said that he's good in healing takes quite some time."

 

Jongdae bit his lips as his stomach churned anxiously. He forgot about that. He should slow down his magic a little, since not everyone could heal as fast as him. That was why he was one of the best. But...Tao wouldn’t notice that, would he? "Yes. But I was panicking earlier, seeing you like that, so I tried my best. I'm actually kind of dizzy right now because I used too much power," Jongdae reasoned.

 

"What?" Tao suddenly stood up, walking over to Jongdae and gently pushing him back against the seat. "You should have told me earlier! Lean back, I think we have some food in here, wait."

 

"No, I'm okay, you don't have to—"

 

"Jonghyun-ssi." There was a glint in Tao’s eyes and Jongdae quickly shut his mouth. "Our walk to the town is quite long and I don't want to piggyback you because you don't have any strength. I’m sorry that I can’t teleport you there. It’ll take too much energy and I still haven’t perfected my teleportation skills." he walked to the fireplace, hands reaching for something on the left side of the shelf. He brought a small box to Jongdae. Opening it, he revealed some small bags of pills and three bottles of water.

 

"What's that?"

 

"This pill will stop your hunger. My friend got it from his friend. It's quite useful when you're in a fight. You don't have to bring food, just this is enough. Open your hand," Tao instructed.

 

Jongdae opened his palm and Tao handed him two pills with a bottle of water. Jongdae waited for Tao to take his before he followed, being cautious of the pills. After a couple of minutes Jongdae suddenly felt full. "Wow. This really works! You have to let me buy it. It's really efficient, especially when you don't have time to eat!"

 

"I want to give it to you but my friends will be angry if they found out. Don't tell this to anyone, okay? I think it's a black market good." Tao put his finger on his lips, a serious expression on his face.

 

"I'm lucky to know how it tastes then!" Jongdae laughed.

 

Tao smiled at him. "I'm glad I met you, Jonghyun-ssi."

 

Jongdae blinked at the sudden confession.

 

"I never met anyone outside of my group, you know. So it's nice talking with a stranger and feeling so comfortable like this." Tao rubbed his neck, smiling shyly when he looked back up at Jongdae. "I really hope we can meet again."

 

Jongdae gave a nervous smile. "Me too."

  
  
  


_There won't be a next time, Tao._

__  
  


_The next time we meet, I will be the one who will cause injury to your body._

  
  
  



	10. Chapter 10

Baekhyun narrowed his eyes, arms folded as he watched Chanyeol clean the room. He was running back and forth as he tried not to use his magic. "You're making me dizzy, Chanyeol."

 

"I'm sorry, My Prince, but I need to be careful with some of these things. I accidentally broke one of them when I used my magic this morning." Chanyeol sniffed a little, pushing a heavy large box to the corner of the room. He had already sorted some things out, determining which objects he would or wouldn’t need when working on the project with Sehun.

 

Minseok had informed him that Sehun would move in with Luhan later that day so Chanyeol had been busy preparing his room. He hadn't read some of the material that Sehun had given to him the other day and was slightly worried Sehun would be angry.

 

"Does this mean you'll stop teaching me?" Baekhyun spread out on the couch. Chanyeol was in the center of the room, hands on his waist as he thought of what to clean next.

 

"Nope. I'm still teaching you, of course. It’s just that I won't teach you on weekends now because I have to work with Sehun. The Ministry wants us to finish this project as soon as possible so I can't help it. I'm sorry, we will start our lesson in a moment, My Prince." Chanyeol remembered something and went to his bedroom. Hearing Baekhyun whined, he chuckled softly to himself.

 

When he came out five minutes after, he was shocked to find Baekhyun looking at his weapon designs. "My Prince!" He reached out to grab the papers, but Baekhyun was faster, hiding them behind his back. Chanyeol hovered over him, blinking when he noticed how close their faces were.

 

"I can't see it?"

 

"You can, it's just—"

 

"Only Sehun can see this?"

 

"No, My Prince. I just think that they’re not good en—"

 

"I want to meet Sehun," Baekhyun demanded. "I want to see him making these weapons. Can I watch both of you working? I won't do anything. I promise I'll be a good boy."

 

Chanyeol parted his lips, wanting to say no, but Baekhyun was the Prince and Chanyeol had no right to forbid him. "I-I need to ask Minseok hyung about it, and Sehun too. I think the process is kind of dangerous. It has something to do with fire, My Prince."

 

"I can make a barrier around me."

 

"Good point," Chanyeol smiled. He was really bad at making excuses and Baekhyun always found a way to outsmart him in these arguments.

 

"I will ask Minseok hyung and Sehun then," Baekhyun said, pushing Chanyeol away from him. He stared at the papers in his hands before glancing back up at him. "Now, tell me what this is."

 

Chanyeol sighed, taking a seat beside Baekhyun, and started to explain his designs to the Prince.

  
  
  


***

  
  
  


Minseok huffed, dropping the heavy suitcases on the ground. He turned to see Sehun groan as he dropped the suitcases he had in his own hands.

 

"I told him not to pack so many clothes," Sehun huffed.

 

"It's good actually, so you don't have to go back and forth to your house for a while," Minseok chuckled. "Where is he by the way?"

 

"Luhan already went to work. He was so excited that he couldn't sleep last night."

 

"I couldn't sleep the night when I moved in too."

 

"Really?"

 

"Yeah. Jongin and the others were so excited, they couldn't wait for me to bring them here. It wasn't easy though and a month later they complained because I still hadn't brought them." Minseok signaled Sehun to follow him. "You will be working with Chanyeol freely on the weekends. He already cleared out his schedule for you."

 

"What schedule?"

 

"Tutoring the Prince."

 

"Oh right. I haven't met him yet." Sehun stared at the many hallways and corridors in the Castle. The place was so big; there was no way he would remember his way around the Castle.

 

"You'll see him now. He told me he couldn't wait to see you," Minseok chuckled. "He's eager."

 

"Really? May I know why?"

 

"His time with Chanyeol has been reduced and he's been complaining to me about it. I can't do anything about it though, it's not my decision. I know he understands, he's just being selfish like usual."

 

Sehun raised an eyebrow. "Selfish?"

 

"Yeah. He's the youngest. He knows the royal responsibilities aren't on him so he does what he likes. Chanyeol is the one who makes him want to study."

 

"What do you mean by that?"

 

"Baekhyun hadn’t started his magical studies for years. Sure, his brothers taught him and sometimes he watched his brother studying with his tutor but he never took interest in it. The King and Queen aren't the types who would force their son and they knew Baekhyun just needed to find the right person."

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


They finally arrived at the east wing, the scientist’s familiar wooden door appearing after so many turns around the Castle.

 

"Sehun?" Minseok turned to him. "I apologize in advance if our Prince acts weird to you. You will meet him a lot in the future and you will get used to it, but I just want you to know that he’s the opposite of his brother." He smiled, knocking twice on the door before entering.

 

Minseok inhaled deeply when he saw Baekhyun hovering over Chanyeol on the floor. "My Prince, you really should stop giving people the wrong impression."

 

Sehun chuckled at the sight. Chanyeol's face was red as he pushed Baekhyun away and the Prince let out a loud squeak when his body hit the floor.

 

"Park Chanyeol!"

 

"Good morning, Sehun-ssi." Chanyeol smiled at Sehun as he stood up, slapping the dust off his pants. He helped Baekhyun to his feet after and the Prince pouted at him.

 

"I think I will stay for a while. I'm sure leaving the three of you alone would be dangerous," Minseok said as he walked to the kitchen to make drinks.

 

"Sehun, let me introduce you guys. My Prince, this is Oh Sehun, the Artisan that the ministry hired to work with me."

 

Sehun bowed politely to Baekhyun who nodded.

 

"Nice to meet you, Sehun-ssi," Baekhyun smiled. He took a seat and gestured at Sehun to take the spot beside him.

 

Sehun glanced at Chanyeol, wondering if it was okay, and the older man smiled in response. Sehun shrugged, taking a seat beside the Prince and smiled back, just slightly. "It's an honour to meet you, My Prince."

 

"Chanyeol just told me about his design. I want to hear your explanation now, about your job and—is that a Sapphire?" Baekhyun leaned in to see the necklace Sehun was wearing.

 

"Yes, My Prince."

 

"I use Sapphire too! Here." Baekhyun lifted his right hand, showing three bracelets there, each embedded with different stones.

 

"May I see them?"

 

Baekhyun hesitantly held out his hand, watching as Sehun carefully inspected the bracelets.

 

"They’re simple but pretty. Where did you get them?"

 

"I don't know. My brother orders them for me."

 

"Which one is your birthstone?"

 

"Here." Baekhyun pulled out a necklace from underneath his cotton shirt, waving a necklace with a small diamond in it.

 

"Diamond?"

 

"Yeah. My brother has the same birthstone," Baekhyun nodded. He raised a hand when Sehun got closer to see the necklace. "No, don't."

 

Sehun blinked, not understanding what Baekhyun meant before he let out a small _ah._ "Right. I'm sorry. It's a bad habit of mine, looking at people’s birthstones. I always get carried away in my interest. You can actually guess the owner's powers from the stones, Prince Baekhyun."

"You can? How about me?"

 

"Diamond is good. It’s usually worn by people who possess a great power. Can you control your magic well with other bracelets?"

 

Baekhyun shook his head. "Only two. The Ruby one is hard for me to use, I don't know why."

 

"It's normal. Not everyone can control their magic with many different stones. The most important thing is that you have at least one stone that can hold your magic perfectly."

 

"I see," Baekhyun nodded. Sehun tilted his head when he noticed Baekhyun staring peculiarly at his bracelets. He looked over at Chanyeol, nodding with his head.

 

"Uhm, can I talk with Chanyeol hyung, My Prince?"

 

"Yeah, sure."

 

Sehun faced Chanyeol who had been smiling at Baekhyun the entire time. He frowned a little at the smile but chose not to mind it. "Have you read the material I gave you?"

 

"Yeah. I almost understand everything but it's kind of hard to imagine it. Can you give a demonstration? It will be easier for me."

 

"I want to but I haven't unpacked my things yet." Sehun smiled apologetically when Chanyeol's smile dropped. "I want to discuss with you about your ideas first. I have so many questions about them. Do you really think they can work? I mean, should I make prototypes first so you can work on modifications? The stone attachment is very difficult. I need to make five types of weapons and each of them have different materials. I don't want to rebuild the weapons because you aren't sure if they will work or not."

 

Chanyeol look taken back by the serious glint in his eyes. Sehun knew that people usually underestimated how passionate and determined he could be with his projects.

 

"I—to be honest, I don't know if it'll work or not. You know we, scientists, don't always succeed on our first try. I don't want to burden you and I hope after you teach me how to make them, I can make several on my own while you build the real one. We won't waste much time then and as soon as we’re sure my ideas work, we can create the real version." Chanyeol anxiously rubbed his thigh.

 

"Alright. I will teach you how to do it but not today. Maybe tomorrow if you have time. Minseok hyung said that we will be working on the weekends?" Sehun smiled a little, chuckling softly to himself when he saw Chanyeol perk up at his grin.

 

"Yeah. Weekends. I need to tutor Prince Baekhyun on weekdays. In fact, we haven't learned anything today because he wanted to hear about the project. In the end, he couldn’t understand anything and we could have spent that time actually learning something more important." Chanyeol shook his head with a sigh.

 

"I do understand about the project! What I don't understand are your sloppy drawings!" Baekhyun hissed.

 

"My Prince, the drawings are only meant for me to understand so it would make sense that you don’t get them."

 

Sehun laughed quietly as he watched the two of them bicker. It was fun to watch them but he wondered if he could work with Chanyeol in an environment like this.  The Prince won’t follow Chanyeol everywhere he goes, right?

 

"But you have the duty to explain everything that I want to understand!"

 

"My Prince, I already explained it to you more than three times. It's okay if you don't understand, you don't need to know about the project."

 

"But I want to, Park Chanyeol!" Baekhyun raised his voice, making Chanyeol purse his lips.

 

"I'm sorry, My Prince." Chanyeol lowered his eyes. "I will try to explain it to you again."

 

"You can come along when I teach Chanyeol hyung, My Prince," Sehun spoke up. Baekhyun turned to him, his expression instantly brightening.

 

"Really?"

 

"Yes, My Prince. You’ll be able to see it with your own eyes."

 

"Great! Let's study now then, Chanyeol!" Baekhyun beamed, bouncing over to Chanyeol’s side. "What are we going to learn today?"  

 

Chanyeol ruffled Baekhyun's hair and began explaining the day’s studies.

 

"Can I go back to my room, My Prince?" Sehun asked.

 

"Oh, right. Yes, you can, Sehun. We will see you again tomorrow," Baekhyun smiled. Sehun noted the Prince’s hand on the hem of Chanyeol’s shirt.

 

"See you tomorrow, Chanyeol hyung, My Prince." Sehun bowed to both of them before leaving. As he closed the door, he could hear Baekhyun talking excitedly to Chanyeol.

 

"What an interesting relationship they have," Sehun said to himself, shaking his head as he recalled the tender looks shared between Chanyeol and Baekhyun.

 

 


	11. Chapter 11

Jongdae dropped his book when a loud bang startled him. Turning around, he saw Junmyeon taking off his shoes by the front door.

 

"Oh, I forgot you're on a break," Junmyeon smiled a little, flopping down beside Jongdae on the couch. "What are you doing?"

 

"Reading my new book. Why are you back already? It's still—" Jongdae glanced at the clock."Two p.m. Huh. That's really weird." Junmyeon rarely came home this early.

 

"I didn’t feel like working another case again." Junmyeon leaned his head on Jongdae's shoulder. "I got another letter from my boss. I haven't replied to him but he already sent me another letter, Jongdae. And he pissed me off."

 

"What did he say?" Jongdae asked, pressing his head against Junmyeon’s.

 

"He reminded me that I have to recheck every work that I finish."

 

"I told you already, that’s normal."

 

"But it pisses me off! I know the procedure, I know what I have to do— I do not need him to remind me that I have to do a good job. I know my freaking responsibilities!" Junmyeon raised his voice, letting out a loud huff before he wailed. "I hate it that I hate him! I don't even know why it bothers me so much whether or not he thinks that I did a bad job."

 

"Maybe because people around you always think that you will do great and no one’s ever picked on you?" Jongdae offered.

 

Junmyeon frowned. "That might be true."

 

"It's a random guess. But that aside the real reason is because he reminds you of _him._ " Jongdae smirked when Junmyeon narrowed his eyes before smacking his arm. "Ow, hyung!"

 

"He doesn't remind me of _him._ He's nothing like _him,_ only the fact that he loves his job. He only cares if I do a great job. Otherwise, he’s just focusing on his undercover work and saving the Castle," Junmyeon stated. "You’re really never met him? You don't go and fight with your group members, huh?"

 

"I want to, hyung, but the rules forbid me to go and follow them."

 

"It must be boring, waiting for people who's going to need your help. What do you do when you're alone?"

 

"Read. I bring my books and that's enough to keep me occupied. I don't really have time to talk with my team except when we're walking to our camp. Once we reach the base, they all start to talk about strategies and stuffs."

 

"You never really see the enemy then. I should ask your teammates. I need to get some more information. My boss told me about how the Runners stepped up their game but he hasn't given me any more information than that." Junmyeon rubbed his temples.

 

Jongdae parted his lips as he remembered something. He stared down at his hand. Was it okay to tell Junmyeon about that one time he met the enemy?

 

"What if I said that I have met one of them?" Jongdae shrinked under Junmyeon’s stare, his voice getting small.

 

"Tell me about it."

 

Jongdae nodded, glancing up at Junmyeon. "I was lost when I was following one of my teammates and I met this Runner. I didn’t know what his position was but he was bleeding. I... I know I shouldn't have done it, but I healed him, hyung. I stayed at one of their cabins where he gave me this pills that made me full after I ate it. He didn't kill me when he realized I was a stranger. Well, I didn't tell him my real name, I said that I ran away from home and got lost. But he's young, hyung. He looked kind of scary but he really didn't do anything to me. He even offered to bring me back to town. He's… nice."

 

Jongdae was breathless after he finished. Seeing Junmyeon’s knowing smile, he groaned in realization. "Oh. Great." He facepalmed. "Great. I'm so stupid."

 

"What are you talking about?" Junmyeon chuckled.

 

"Your smile! I know what that means! No, I'm not. I'm just surprised, that's it, hyung. _I do not like him, no. Okay,_ he's tall and kind but no," Jongdae shook his head.

 

"I didn't say anything, Dae." Junmyeon innocently bit his lips. Jongdae rolled his eyes and Junmyeon let out a loud laugh."You're so cute. You're the type for forbidden love, huh?"

 

"No, I'm not!" Jongdae whined. He slightly regretted telling his brother. Jongdae was usually the one teasing his brother so Junmyeon took every opportunity to get back at him.

 

"Okay, okay. Let's talk seriously. Did you get any information about them?"

 

"Not about his group. But he told me how his magic development is slow and I'm not sure why."

 

"Slow? You mean he didn't practise his magic?"

 

"Yeah. I guess something like that. Maybe he got hurt a lot because he couldn't make a perfect barrier?"

 

"That’s possible. But he's still in the group so he must be good at other things to balance out his weakness."

 

Jongdae widened his eyes, remembered something. "Weakness! He said he's not good at wind! He can't even make small wind to dry out clothes, hyung! But wait, what his magic level then? Someone who can't make wind and barriers—"

 

"Second, maybe Third year?"

 

"What? Then how come..."

 

Junmyeon deeply frowned, and Jongdae could tell his brother was thinking about the information he just received."Either he’s really great at something or they don't have enough members."

 

"Ughhhhh...I wish he had showed me some of his skills!"

 

Junmyeon chuckled, patting Jongdae's head. "It's okay. My boss already has all of their secrets, just wait for him to send his next letter."

 

"I'm sorry, hyung."

 

"Hey, it's not your fault. I'm happy you got to  tell me about your crush." Junmyeon crinkled his eyes as he laughed, trying to hide his face behind his hands as Jongdae smacked him with a pillow.

  
  
  
  


Jongdae had a girlfriend once. He took care of her just as much as he cared for his family or best friends but the girl noticed something. She said Jongdae had a different glint in his eyes when he was with one of his friends. She asked Jongdae if he liked his friend and Jongdae laughed at it, thinking that she was jealous. Jongdae of course said no, that he loved only her but he started to think of it after. She realized how Jongdae started to act differently towards her, how he kept thinking about her words.

 

Jongdae broke up with her because he didn’t know if he liked women or men.

 

He still didn’t, but he started to accept that some men were attractive to him.

 

Just like Tao.

 

Maybe if they were in a different situation, Jongdae could get to know him better.

  
  
  
  


***

  
  
  


Minseok watched his students fight in pairs. He could see their improvement but he was still worried. It wasn't enough. He was getting restless lately, the pressure from both the Ministry and the Castle only make him more anxious towards the Castle’s safety.

 

Minseok was trying to find Dongwoo when he heard someone call out his name.

 

"Minseok hyung!"

 

Minseok turned around to see Luhan. "Hey, Luhan."

 

"Hello. I'm sorry, are you working? I just came back from the Ministry and felt like looking around." Luhan’s hair and clothes were disheveled.

 

"Why don't you go to your room first?" Minseok tilted his head. Luhan had a fair skin but he somehow looked pale and not in a good way.

 

"Just want a small walk to refresh my brain," Luhan smiled. "Are they all royal guards? How many are there currently?" He tried to look around Minseok.

 

"Around twenty people are training to be official royal guards. But hey, Luhan, you don't look good. Are you okay?" Minseok put a hand on Luhan's shoulder.

 

Luhan pressed his lips, the excitement on his face waning. Minseok watched in confusion as Luhan stared back at him, taking a step back.

 

"If you can see it then it must be real bad." Luhan ran a hand through his hair, sighing out loud. "Can you accompany me to the cafeteria? I haven't eaten all day."

 

"All day? Not even breakfast?" Minseok glanced at his students and decided they would be fine without him.

 

"I did have breakfast," Luhan replied, following Minseok. "Can I request food? I'm kind of picky when it comes to what I eat."

 

"Of course. You can tell the chef exactly what you want" Minseok chuckled. "You look like the kind who would eat anything, actually."

 

Luhan only grinned as a reply.

  
  
  
  
  
  


Sehun thanked Minseok when the latter escorted Luhan back to their room. Luhan bowed to him a couple of times before Minseok left the couple. Glancing back at the hugging couple, Minseok thought back his talk with Luhan.

 

Luhan had told Minseok about his eating problem. He said it stopped before, but ever since he got his job, it came back. It was no wonder Luhan looked so thin, especially his wrists. He looked fragile and Minseok could imagine why he wanted to eat first before meeting Sehun. If he were Sehun, he would be worried sick.

 

Minseok always loved to observe couples around him. He enjoyed the stealing glances, the shy or bold touches, the aura around them, and the smiles on their faces. It was amazing how people could connect themselves, finding someone who they could call home.

 

Minseok had a couple of relationships before but he never felt fully comfortable with them, especially opening himself to his partners. Being the eldest made Minseok independent. His brothers depended on him, asking him for advice and help and he was used to it. He couldn't imagine himself being the one asking for help, but he did often wonder if someday he would be the one asking for help when it came to somebody he loved.

 

Minseok suddenly banged into something invisible and stumbled back a little. He raised his hand, touching an invisible barrier in front of him.

 

"Watch where you're going" Dongwoo grinned, appearing suddenly in front of him. He put his arm around Minseok's shoulder and Minseok didn't feel good seeing the creepy smile on his best friend's face.

 

"Sorry. Needed to bring the guest back to his room."

 

As Minseok and Dongwoo headed to the field, Minseok nudged Dongwoo in the ribs, telling him it was hard to walk with him clinging to his side.

 

"Who's that pretty man?"

 

"You saw?" Minseok raised an eyebrow.

 

Dongwoo laughed. "Me and all the kids. They stopped training the moment you went away, saying how pretty he was and asking me if I know who he was. Just get ready because the moment you come back they will throw questions at you."

 

"He’s the Artisan’s lover."  

 

"Oh, the one who will be working with Chanyeol? He brought his...boyfriend?" Dongwoo whistled.

 

"Yeah. Would you leave your girlfriend if you're him?"

 

"If I can't bring her then I have no choice. She has to understand that I’m working for our future," Dongwoo shrugged. "But seriously, that man is so pretty. Some of the kids are crushing on him already and it's so funny watching them like that."

 

"I would love to see their faces,” Minseok chuckled.  

 

Dongwoo suddenly grabbed Minseok’s hand, stopping them before reaching the last turn to the field. "I'm curious. You never told me if you've been in a relationship before. Have you, Minnie?" Dongwoo whispered, letting go of his hand.

 

"I had girlfriends before," Minseok said, leaning against the wall behind him.

 

"Huh? I thought you liked men."

 

"I do. I’ve just never had a relationship with men before. I'm busy with my job and have no time for it. Why, do you want to introduce me to someone?" Minseok teased.

 

"No, It's just that it's hard for me to imagine you having someone. You can do everything by yourself and many people look up to you. They always talk about what kind of person suits you and it's hard to guess what type of man you would need. Imagining you having someone beside you is weird because we’re so used to seeing you alone."

 

Minseok ran a hand through his hair. Dongwoo always took random moments to say unexpected things that left Minseok speechless. What amazed him the most was that he always came to him and talked about what Minseok was thinking. It was almost like telepathy.

 

"Have nothing to say like usual?" Dongwoo grinned, wiggling his eyebrows with a proud look.

 

"Yeah...you’re making me even more confused about this. I feel like I'm okay with having no one beside me but there are some times when I imagine how it feels to have someone that makes me feel like I'm home." The image of Sehun hugging Luhan came to his mind, along with Jongin and Kyungsoo. Minseok had been so happy when Jongin came to him, saying how Kyungsoo said yes to his confession. Would he ever experience that feeling himself?

 

"Ugh...home. You're thinking of another level here, not just boyfriend. It's like you're looking for a wife, maybe a husband. You have many things to think about, like if he has his own job and that kind of serious stuff."

 

"Let’s not talk about that right now, I guess I’m not ready for that kind of commitment." Minseok gave a nervous laugh.

 

"Come on then, the kids are are waiting. We’ll continue this talk later." Dongwoo put his arm back around Minseok’s shoulder but this time he didn’t complain about it.


	12. Chapter 12

Chanyeol heaved a sigh. Baekhyun was staring at Sehun again, that big pout on his lips, as the latter tried to focus on his weapons design. Looking up, Sehun rubbed his temples.

 

"My Prince, you're bothering Sehun again." Chanyeol snapped his fingers, causing Baekhyun to turn to him.

 

"But I didn’t do anything." Baekhyun blinked innocently.

 

"Why don't you go back to your room, My Prince? We have finished for today. It's my time to work with Sehun now." Chanyeol hoped Baekhyun would listen to him but Baekhyun always had to get what he wanted, and Baekhyun wanted to know about Luhan. Dongwoo had stopped by earlier and mentioned Sehun’s boyfriend. Apparently, he was the talk of the royal guards.

 

"I want to stay," Baekhyun declared.

 

"My Prince—"

 

"Chanyeol hyung," Sehun cut. "I will go back to my room to read this. We can continue on weekends, if that's okay?"

 

Sehun was smiling but Chanyeol could see that his eyes were threatening him to say yes.

 

"If that's what you want, Sehun."

 

"Great!" Sehun beamed. "I will see you on Saturday. I need to go and buy materials tomorrow but I will try to visit you if I have time. Good evening, My Prince." Sehun bowed to Baekhyun. He took long strides and quickly left Chanyeol's room.

 

Chanyeol exhaled hard, throwing his head back against the couch. "See, My Prince? I told you not to do that. Now Sehun won't come here again if you keep bothering him. This project is important and the Ministry wants us to finish this as soon as possible," he murmured. He was tired of repeating the same words over and over again to Baekhyun.

 

Baekhyun pursed his lips, a guilty look creeping onto his face. "I'm sorry. I just—they said Luhan is pretty and I wanted to know if they were right."

 

"Luhan is pretty, My Prince. I can understand why Dongwoo— _whoa!_ " Chanyeol yelled when Baekhyun jumped on him. The Prince’s eyes were narrowed, a peculiar expression on his face.

 

"You think he's pretty?"

 

"Uh, yes?"

 

"Do you like him?"

 

"Like him? Oh, no. Of course not! He's Sehun's boyfriend, why would I like him?" Chanyeol laughed but was cut off when Baekhyun cupped his face.

 

"If he's not Sehun's boyfriend, would you like him? Is he your type?"

 

"He's not my type, My Prince. I'm just saying that he's pretty but that's all. I don't like him in any way." Chanyeol lifted the corners of his lips, smiling wider when Baekhyun nodded and lowered his hands.

 

"Okay."

 

"Are you jealous?" Chanyeol teased, folding his arms on his chest.

 

"Will you be happy if I were jealous?" Baekhyun asked back.

 

Chanyeol blinked at the unexpected answer Baekhyun would usually smack him or shriek at him when Chanyeol teased him, but he seemed much more serious now. "I..."

 

Baekhyun frowned when Chanyeol faltered, slapping Chanyeol's chest. "You're cruel, Park Chanyeol."

 

Chanyeol could only watch incredulously as Baekhyun jumped off him and walked away. Throwing him a final glare, Baekhyun slammed the door shut behind him.

 

"What did I do...?" he scratched his head.

 

Chanyeol groaned, rubbing his face. Tomorrow’s tutoring session would be difficult. Baekhyun liked to lock himself in his room when he wasn’t in a good mood. Chanyeol would have to figure out what he did wrong before tomorrow.

  
  


***

  
  
  


Sehun was walking back to his room, trying to remember the path back, when one of the royal guards ran up to him.

 

"Sehun-ssi!"

 

"Yes?"

 

"You have a guest. He's waiting at the main entrance.”

 

"Oh. Thank you for telling me. Can you show me the way, please?"

 

The guard guided Sehun back to the main entrance as he explain shortcuts and different turns that could lead all over the Castle. Sehun forgot that he hadn't gotten the tour from Minseok yet. Maybe he could ask Chanyeol for help if Minseok didn’t have time.

 

When the guard finally showed him to the main entrance, Sehun was met with a familiar boyish grin. It turned into a knowing smirk, one that belonged to a dear friend who was once taller than him.

 

"Sehun-ah, did you miss me?" Jongin laughed as he hugged Sehun tightly. "It's been awhile, huh?"

 

"Hey. I'm sorry you had to come all the way here. I should be the one visiting you." Sehun patted Jongin’s back, laughing hard because he couldn’t believe that Jongin came to visit him.

 

"Nah, it's okay. I got a couple of hours away from work and that's good. Kyungsoo hyung will be mad at me though. I slipped away and didn’t tell him I was coming here." Jongin pursed his lips but shrugged. He sat down and Sehun sat beside him, a fond smile still on his face.

 

"You should bring him here. He’s never come to the Castle before, right? He likes exploring new places, just like Luhan hyung," Sehun chuckled.

 

Sehun knew Kyungsoo a year before he met Jongin, who had been his classmate back then. Kyungsoo was Luhan's best friend and he only found out about it a couple of months after he got close to Luhan. It was kind of funny how his friend and his boyfriend's friend ended up together after all these years.

 

"Maybe next time. I just wanted to check up on you because I got curious. Minseok hyung said that you’re working on a project to help the Catchers?" Jongin leaned excitedly towards Sehun.

 

Sehun hummed. Hearing Jongin ask about the project burdened him a bit. He was the Catchers' trainer so of course he wanted to know. "Yeah. You must have heard about what I do from Minseok hyung already, right?"

 

"I did. But I want to hear it from you.” Jongin wiggled his eyebrows. "You said you wanted to meet me, Sehun. I'm here for you, you know."

 

"Well...I'm actually kind of busy. I’m not sure if I have time right now..." Sehun cleared his throat, eyes glinting playfully.

 

Jongin grinned, kicking Sehun’s foot lightly. Sehun smiled as he kicked him back. He had grown up a bit since taking over the family business, but it was always nice to be playful like when he was young. And Jongin always brought out that side in him.

 

Sehun felt his heart become lighter at the sight of his best friend. He could always trust Jongin, sometimes discussing tough problems he couldn’t share with Luhan or anyone else.

 

"I can’t really talk about this with Luhan, you know. I can talk freely to you about how I feel, how important this is to me and how much I want to do a great job." Sehun tilted his head back, looking up at the many chandeliers that dotted the ceiling. "But you know what, The Prince was distracting me when I tried to work with his tutor. His tutor and I are working on this project together, and he’s a scientist so we seem to understand each other well."

 

"That’s great! So you’ve met the Prince, huh. How is he?"

 

"All I can think of right now is that he irritates me because he keeps clinging to his tutor. I think he gives his tutor a lot of trouble. It’s amazing how patient that guy is.”  

 

“A tutor does have to be patient. He’s dealing with the royal family too and that’s a different kind of job, it must be hard for him.”

 

Sehun hummed in agreement.

 

“Can I meet The Prince then? I’m curious as to why he never show himself to the public.”

 

Sehun glanced over at Jongin's excited tone. He wrapped an arm around Jongin’s shoulder, shaking his head heavily. "You'll regret it, believe me."

  
  
  
  
  


Sehun talked some more with Jongin, and an hour quickly passed between them. Jongin grinned as he stood up, hugging Sehun who complained that he should stay longer as he missed Jongin badly and wanted to talk more with him.

 

“I’ll try to find some time and visit again, maybe with Kyungsoo hyung so that Luhan hyung will be happy. He’s fine, right? It still surprises me that he came here with you.”

 

“I forced him, Jongin-ah. I won’t be able to work if I leave him at home alone. You know we can’t live without each other.”

 

Jongin rolled his eyes, shoving him away.  Sehun faked a cry, shouting that it hurt. Jongin only chuckled, shaking his head.

 

“Take care, okay? You can go and talk to my brother if you need anything. Say hi to Luhan hyung for me.” Jongin hugged Sehun once again, patting his back.

 

“You know that you can meet him at the Ministry, right?” Sehun asked.

 

Jongin chuckled. “See you soon, Sehun-ah.”

 

“Thanks a lot, Jonginnie,” Sehun nodded.

 

Sehun walked Jongin to the door, waving at Jongin one last time. He watched Jongin’s back for a moment, smiling to himself before he turned around to walk back to his room.

  
  
  
  
  


Sehun looked up when he heard the door open and saw Luhan enter. He smiled when Luhan paused.

 

“Hey.”

 

“Hey…” Luhan closed the door, tilting his head as he walked to Sehun. “You’re not working?”

 

“Nope, wanted to rest for a bit.” Sehun put his book aside, climbing down the bed and pushed Luhan towards the bathroom. “I prepared the bath for you.”

 

Luhan raised his eyebrows, “Thank you. That’s so nice of you.”

 

“Well, you made me worried the last time Minseok brought you here.” Sehun reached over to help Luhan remove his clothes. “Jongin visited today.”

 

“Really? That’s great! Why didn’t he wait for me…” Luhan pouted slightly. He entered the bathtub and hummed when he felt the hot water. Sehun sat on a small chair near the bathtub, feeling happy to see Luhan relaxing.

 

“He had to go back quickly. He slipped off without telling Kyungsoo hyung.”

 

Luhan laughed, eyes crinkling. “Really? Wow...he did that just for you, Sehunnie.”

 

“Yeah, he congratulated me and asked if I was doing well here.”

 

“That’s great! It’s been awhile since you two met, right?” Luhan reached out to cup Sehun’s face, rubbing his thumb across his cheek. “You looked like you needed your best friend and I’m glad you look better now.”

 

Sehun blinked. “I look better now?” Did Luhan notice that he was worrying about the project so much?

 

“Oh, come on, Sehun-ah. I’ve known you for years already. I know when you have something on your mind that you’re not willing to share.” Luhan pressed a kiss to Sehun’s lips before leaning back in the tub.

 

Sehun inhaled, parting his lips as he thought of what to say. How stupid of him to think that his boyfriend wouldn’t notice his feelings. “I’m sorry, hyung. I thought that it was better to keep it to myself. I know you’re tired after work and I just don’t want you to be worried about me.”

 

“But you are tired of working too, Sehun-ah. I want you to know that I’m here for you, that you can talk to me whenever you want. I want to take care of you just as much as you want to take care of me.”

 

Sehun smiled, reaching out to run his fingers through Luhan’s hair. “Thank you. You will be the first person I come to whenever I’m worried about something.”

 

Luhan grinned, closing his eyes as Sehun started to massage his temples.

 


	13. Chapter 13

Minseok couldn’t contain his surprise when the Commander said he would be leaving the Castle. His jaw dropped at the news. A survey of the town? Minseok rarely left the Castle, except when he did the occasional visit to town or visited back home. He loved being inside the Castle; he felt safe there.

 

"For what purpose, sir?" Minseok pressed his lips shut when his Commander chuckled, motioning at him to close his mouth.

 

"I need you to go to town and ask random people what they heard about Catchers and Runners. It's important to make our people feel safe and we have to know just much they know. I have some connections and informants and I want you to go to them. Ask them if they’ve heard about the Runners and their plans. The informants are all ex criminals but they work for the Ministry now," his Commander explained. He smiled warmly, but there was also something serious in his gaze. It was like the look he usually gave when scolding the trainers or royal guards.

 

Minseok could only nod. "When should I go, sir?"

 

"Tomorrow. I will write down the names and the places to find them. You can take someone with you if you want. Just make sure they have the necessary clearance."

 

"Thank you, sir." Minseok bowed before turning to leave. Once outside, he leaned against the wall, pressing his head against the cold stone.

 

"The town..." Minseok whimpered. "I hate the town."

 

Minseok actually had a hard time when he had to go to crowded places. He rarely went to the town because there were so many people there. He had once gotten beaten up by some random people who had robbed him back in grade school. He had tried to avoid walking at night, or tried to avoid the town all together, since then.

 

He shouldn't be afraid of meeting ex criminals or some informants; he had better magic skills than them. The town was filled with normal people, not magic users like him, so he shouldn’t be worried.

 

"But who should I take with me?” Minseok wondered, running a hand through his hair.

  
  
  


***

  
  
  


"I told you to stop hanging your arm on me!" Minseok roughly elbowed Dongwoo. The latter coughed and Minseok ignored his glare.

 

"You have to get used to it, Minnie. What if your future boyfriend likes to do it? Could you tolerate it?"

 

Minseok glanced at him. "If it's my boyfriend then yeah, but not you."

 

"Oh come on, Minnie. I'm being nice today, coming to town with you and doing some boring jobs instead of training the kids."

 

"You're the one who begged me last night! You're the one who said you were tired of watching the kids practising!" Minseok hissed when Dongwoo leaned against him again. Minseok could only sigh, too tired to do anything. Instead, he looked down at the list the Commander had given him.

 

"You have to meet how many people again?" Dongwoo leaned in, humming as he read the list.

 

"Five people and they're all at different places that are far from each other. I think the Commander is doing this on purpose. He wants to make me tired today. You're literally going to walk around the entire town with me, Dongwoo-yah."

 

"I have no problem with that, Minnie. Let's have fun on our date today." Dongwoo cackled at the horrified look on Minseok's face. "Come on, who should we meet first?"

 

"Let's go to the school of magic first," Minseok suggested, slipping the paper back into his pocket.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


After going to the school of magic, then a small potion shop in the north and a small inn the the east, Minseok decided that it was time for a break. He led them to the market, the fourth place on their list.

 

The three people they met had all said the same thing: not all the citizens were aware of the Runners’ movements. The information from those three should have been enough, but Minseok didn’t want to risk getting scolded by the Commander because he didn’t interview every single person on the list. Plus, there was a chance that the other two provide some different information.

 

"What do you want to eat?" Minseok asked as they searched for restaurant.

 

"Anything. I'm so hungry that I could—"

 

_"WHAT DID YOU SAY, HUH?! DID YOU SAY THAT I'M WEAK?"_

 

Minseok and Dongwoo stopped when they heard a loud voice coming from a small alley. They glanced at each other before checking the alley to see four people circling someone, trapping him against the wall.

 

"No, not at all! I'm just surprised that the outcome of your big power was that small. I expected it to hurt me but I guess my barrier blocked your attacks."

 

Minseok pursed his lips as Dongwoo pulled him right into the middle of the scene. "Seriously? I'm not in the mood to become a hero!" he whispered.

 

"Excuse me, what are you doing with our friend?" Dongwoo loudly said, folding his arms in bravado as he stepped towards the four men. Minseok mentally face-palmed.

 

"Your friend, eh?" The biggest man of the group, the one Minseok thought might be the leader, let out an obnoxious laugh. "You weren't there when we met him."

 

"That's because we were late." Dongwoo rolled his eyes.

 

The trapped man tried to walk away but the leader put out a hand to stop him. "Now where are you going? I haven't even show you my real power yet!"

 

"I'm sure you're stronger than him. Just please, let us have our friend back. We're hungry right now," Dongwoo cut in again, with a charming smile this time.

 

"No. I want to fight with him first," the leader growled.

 

"Excuse me, but I guess my friend is right. I haven't eaten and it's not possible that I will win against you. Can I go now? I'm sorry for saying those words earlier." The trapped man smiled widely, showing his dimples. He bowed to the leader, who widened his eyes in surprise. "I'm sure we’ll meet again someday. Oh! I will even visit you if I have time, what's your name?"

 

Minseok nudged Dongwoo to grab the man while the leader was still in shock.

 

"See you again!" the dimpled man waved as they tugged him away.

 

Minseok quickly ushered both of them to the nearest restaurant, checking around them as they were seated.

 

"Why are you so weird? Asking for his name? Telling him you will visit him? Are you crazy?" Minseok hissed to the dimpled man while Dongwoo laughed his heart out.

 

"Damn, you're one unique guy, huh? What's your name? I'm Dongwoo and he's Minseok." Dongwoo wiped his tears, pointing to Minseok who rubbed his temples.

 

"Ah! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. It's just that I was asking the man for directions because he was watching me. I didn’t know he would suddenly attack me like that. His magic is weak though. I'm surprised because he has a nice build."

 

"Magic doesn't have anything to do with someone's build," Minseok rolled his eyes.

 

"That's true. My name is Yixing by the way. Nice to meet you, Dongwoo-ssi, Minseok-ssi." The man smiled broadly, eyes turning into crescents.

 

Minseok finally realized that something was odd. The man had an accent and he carried a huge backpack he hadn’t seen before. "Where are you from, Yixing-ssi?"

 

"Oh. The neighboring country. I arrived last night and I can't wait to learn new things from this country."

 

"Wait, before you continue, we should order food first, Minnie. I’m really hungry..." Dongwoo cut him off with pleading eyes.

 

"Right. Okay, let’s order." Placing their orders, Yixing was able to tell his story.

 

He was a scientist from the neighboring country. He had been traveling for two years and had visited  five different countries. He had just come back to his home last month and had just started to travel again. He explained how magic was the same in different countries, the main difference being that some countries used wands or gemstones to channel their magic while some others used their bare hands. He once gone to a peaceful small country where the entire population could do magic and how he had learned many things there.

 

They continued to talk even after the food came. At one point Yixing mentioned black magic and Minseok choked on his food. Dongwoo rubbed his back as Minseok quickly gulped down some water.

 

"Where did you learn black magic?"

 

"In Jesfanthe. I shouldn't have learned it actually but I got curious and thankfully found someone who was willing to teach me about it. I learned it in around four months and I read some old magic books about black magic too." Yixing licked his lips, blinking as Minseok and Dongwoo whispered to each other. "Why the sudden interest in black magic?"

 

Dongwoo looked around the restaurant. There were quite some people so he had to be careful with his voice. "You are planning to explore this country, right? Do you have a place to stay?"

 

"Well, I can go back to the inn where I stayed last night."

 

"Why don't you come and stay with us? We have many empty rooms available."

 

"Dongwoo!" Minseok frowned at Dongwoo's proposal, kicking his leg under the table.

 

"Minnie, I'm sure Yixing would like to take the offer. How about you stay at our place in exchange for sharing everything you know about black magic?"

 

Yixing hummed in thought. "If you can convince me that you won't use it for bad intentions."

 

"Great! I'm sure Minseok can do that. Our job hasn't finish for the day so why don't you join us. We can show you around some places, Yixing-ssi." Dongwoo gave his business smile and Yixing's eyes glinted at the offer.

 

"Of course! I would love to!" Yixing answered excitedly.

 

Minseok didn’t think that it was a good idea to bring Yixing to the Castle. Chanyeol’s knowledge about black magic was limited but if Yixing said he had learned the subject then he must know a lot about it. It would be dangerous to bring a stranger—even if he was a scientist—to the Castle without permission but the man knew black magic. Minseok had heard that Runners could do black magic and they needed to know more about it. Maybe Yixing could tell them if black magic had any weaknesses, something that could help Catchers when they were fighting Runners.

 

Minseok felt a nudge to his side and looked over to see Dongwoo staring at him. _You okay?_ he mouthed.  Minseok lifted a corner of his lips, shrugging as he stared at Yixing who was enjoying his food. Minseok hoped the Commander wouldn’t be mad at him for bringing Yixing back. The first thing he would tell the Commander would be that it was all Dongwoo’s idea.

 

 


	14. Chapter 14

_To Jm. K_

_I know you have finished your research for now. I'm hoping that you already shared the information that I gave you not only to the Ministry but to the Catchers and especially the Royal Guards._

_I'm giving you new information of what the Runners are up to, and I want you to be ready and quickly spread this news because I'm not sure if I can send you another letter as they might find out that I’m a spy._

_My group is going to attack the Castle soon. I'm not sure when but we are currently practicing hard for it. The details will follow on the next few pages. I’ve written all the information that I know, and I really want you to discuss this with the Ministry and if possible, with the King._

_I don't want to burden you, J, but I do believe that you will do a great job._

_I'll see you soon when I come back._

_-K_

__  
  
  


***

  
  
  


Junmyeon shut his eyes as he pressed his forehead to the table. He had just finished reading the newest letter from his boss, and he had mixed feelings about it.

 

The first page where his boss said that he believed in Junmyeon.

 

The second to fourth pages that contained details about the Runners.

 

And the last two pages were something that Junmyeon never expected to read.

 

His boss wrote a short story about himself, about some stupid habit of his and some details that Junmyeon couldn't find on his file. Yes, Junmyeon did check on his boss' file. He had been curious before and wanted to know more about him. And Junmyeon had discovered more than he’d wanted to know.

 

Wu Yifan was an ex criminal. Reading more about his family history and his life, Junmyeon discovered what Yifan had been through and how the Ministry had changed him.

 

Wu Yifan had been scouted to be an informant at first, and he had slowly worked his way to the top, not once feeling ashamed of his background or the rumors that surrounded him. Not many people knew about his background history as he was the one who made his name known, to become someone people respected for all the sweat and blood that he had shed for the country, not because he was an ex criminal.

 

Yifan’s story made Junmyeon realize that he should thank his parents instead of blaming them for once. He should be proud to be a Kim because many people want to have that surname yet they didn’t have the fortune of being born into such a family. Junmyeon should be proud to be a Kim. He had worked hard because he was a Kim. It was his family surname that made Junmyeon who he was right now.

 

Yifan became criminal because he came from a poor family. He wanted to change that in the easiest way yet he ended up getting caught for his illegal ways to reach the top. He hadn’t given up but started again from the bottom until he became someone he had always dreamed of, someone that his parents could be proud of.

 

But from his letter, he sounded like he was ready to die for the country and Junmyeon didn't like that. Despite saying that he wanted to see Junmyeon later on, Yifan appeared to be saying goodbye to him, someone he had never met yet trusted so much in.

 

Junmyeon could see why people both admired and feared Yifan. He wanted to meet the man who had taught him so much. He wanted to meet the man who inspired not only a nation but Junmyeon as well.

 

"Damn you, Wu Yifan."

 

Junmyeon banged his head against the table, flinching at the pain.

  
  
  


***

  
  


When Kyungsoo and Jongin arrived at Junmyeon’s office for lunch, they found the man already waiting for them, lunch boxes open and spread out on the table.

 

"Hyung! It’s a miracle that you're not behind your desk!" Jongin laughed, taking a seat beside Junmyeon while Kyungsoo took the other side.

 

"I'm hungry and I can't concentrate," Junmyeon frowned, motioning at Kyungsoo and Jongin to eat.

 

They were silent for a while, enjoying the food to themselves. Kyungsoo was the first to speak up.

 

"Jun hyung?"

 

"Yeah, Soo?"

 

"Have you finished your job for today?"

 

"Not really, why?" Junmyeon tried to focus on his food. Feeling a hand on his arm, he looked up.

 

Kyungsoo stared at Junmyeon with an understanding smile on his lips, and Junmyeon knew Kyungsoo could see right through him.

 

"I don't want to push you, hyung." Kyungsoo squeezed Junmyeon's arm, eyes crinkled slightly.

 

Junmyeon bit his lips. He didn't know what to say, only his brothers knew about his problem with the Kim surname and he wasn't sure if he was ready to share it with Kyungsoo.

 

"I bet it's his boss again," Jongin suddenly said. He grinned when Junmyeon turned to him with wide eyes. "I saw the letters on your desk, hyung."

 

"Oh," Junmyeon exhaled in relief. "Yeah. It's because of him. I just feel weird after reading his letters, you know." He finished his food quickly and put down his chopsticks. Jongin and Kyungsoo stared at him.

 

"What do you mean by weird? Isn't his letter about the Runners? Shouldn't you feel, I don't know, scared that we have to prepare our Catchers to fight them? Minseok hyung must be stressed out now, knowing that the royal guards have to be alert more than usual. But weird?" Jongin titled his head, stuffing his mouth more food.

 

"Maybe all my feelings are jumbled up, that's why, Jongin," Kyungsoo tried, frowning when Junmyeon groaned. "It's not?"

 

"He said that he wants to see me as soon as he comes back."

 

"We know hyung. You gave us the copy. I'm sure all the people who received a copy of the letter know about it too. He's so cheesy, don't you think, Kyungsoo hyung?"

 

"Jongin." Kyungsoo glared at the younger who just shrugged.

 

"What I’m scared about is that he sounds like he’s ready to die. His words on the last two pages sound like he will do anything to make this plan work, even if it costs his life. I don't know exactly what he will do but I just... I know I'm not close to him but the possibility that someone you know could die at any moment is just terrifying." Junmyeon rubbed his lips, eyebrows knitted. His heart ached a little. It was ridiculous that he felt like this towards someone he had never met before.

 

"Do you want to meet him, hyung?" Jongin put down his plate, wiping his mouth with a tissue as he continued to stare at his brother.

 

"I guess?"

 

"Then let’s give our best for this. We will catch the Runners and the person behind all of this. Your boss will be safe and you will meet him, hyung.”

 

Jongin held his hand, Kyungsoo nodding in agreement. Junmyeon smiled. “Yeah, we can do this. We will win.”

  
  
  
  


***

  
  
  
  


Sehun huffed against his bangs, scratching his neck for the nth time with a copy of Minseok’s letters. Beside him, Chanyeol attempted to create a design based on the letter, but the drawings were coming out less than good. Sehun finally snapped and took the papers from him.

 

"Seriously, hyung. You’re driving me crazy. I really can’t understand your designs either so maybe you should just build the prototype for me." Sehun quickly started drawing, glancing at the notes a few times before finishing. Chanyeol clapped his hands, a proud look on his face that made Sehun feel guilty for getting irritated at him just minutes before.

 

"I can build the prototype if that’ll help complete this faster. But wow, look at this design! I can’t believe that the Runners thought of this before we did."

 

"Who proposed this project?"

 

"Minseok hyung said it was the Department of Defense."

 

"Do you think that maybe… the Runners have someone on inside? I heard the Catchers always lost, and don't you think that they got information to avoid being caught? Like when the Catchers will attack, how many members and their abilities, that kind of stuff?" Sehun twirled the pen in his hand, watching Chanyeol consider the idea.

 

"We should tell Minseok hyung about it. If that's true, then we have to be careful of sharing our information, even to the Ministry," Chanyeol suggested.

 

"Right."

 

Sehun continued thinking about a potential mole in the Ministry when Chanyeol snapped his fingers, trying to catch his attention. "You said you wanted to show me how to attach a gemstone inside a weapon."

 

"Oh, right. Let's go to my room then."

  
  
  
  
  


Chanyeol’s mouth dropped open when he saw Sehun’s room. It was about the same size as his but about ten times cleaner. Everything seemed to spotless and in order.

 

"Are you a neat freak?" Chanyeol suddenly asked.

 

"Excuse me?" Sehun glanced at the older as he pulled a shirt from the drawer. He went to the bathroom to change and came back out to see Chanyeol looking at his framed pictures.

 

"I could never make my room this clean" Chanyeol said, staring at a picture of Sehun hugging a baby. "Who is she?"

 

"My niece. She's cute, right?" Sehun smiled. Grabbing Chanyeol’s arm, he lead him to another room.

 

"This is my work room. I requested for one because I have my own in my house and I need to concentrate. Luhan knows not to bother me when I'm working, except if I allow him to. So whenever you need me and I'm in this room, you _have_ to knock. If I don't unlock the door, then it means you have to come again later." Sehun gestured at Chanyeol to sit at a desk.

 

Chanyeol watched as Sehun carefully prepared the tools at the desk."You have so many rules, Sehun."

 

"It's my father's influence. I'm not a fan of them but they stayed with me and they do help me a great deal with my work. So, yeah," Sehun shrugged.

 

For the next thirty minutes, Chanyeol watched Sehun demonstrate the basics of stone cutting and attaching them to weapons. Sehun showed him the process, reminding him to be careful when it came to attaching the stone to the weapon. As an example, he embedded a gem into a weapon to see if the stone would glow. If there was no glow, then they were not a match. Sehun also taught him how to transfer magic inside stones.

 

Chanyeol learned a lot in short time and his hands were itching to try it himself. Sehun eventually let him touch one of the weapons, even letting him to try attaching the stone into a weapon. He even succeeded in moving his magic inside the stone.

 

Sehun glanced at the clock on the wall and remembered that Chanyeol should be tutoring the Prince. Time had flown by; he wouldn’t admit it aloud, but it was nice to be able to talk and work with someone who shared his passion. Luhan, Jongin, or even Kyungsoo couldn't understand his job but Chanyeol was different. They both specialized in creating things and it was natural for them to understand each other.

 

"Hyung, it's time for you to tutor now."

 

Chanyeol looked up at the clock and pouted. "I always forget the time when I start working on things like this."

 

"I know," Sehun smiled.

 

"Let's continue tomorrow?"

 

"Yeah. Just knock on the door when I’m inside."

 

Chanyeol grinned, moving to clean up the mess on the table but Sehun told him to hurry and not make Baekhyun wait. "Thanks, Sehun-ah."

 

Sehun hummed, locking the door after Chanyeol left.

 

When he was sure no one would come to find him, he reopened the letter. He had been thinking about the Runners’ plan. The black magic with the combination of the rare Lapis Lazuli would be destructive. Even if Sehun and Chanyeol did succeed in making the weapons, they would still lose in the end because of the Runners’ rare and powerful stone.

 

"I need to study more about black magic," Sehun sighed to himself.

  
  
  



	15. Chapter 15

"Where are we?" Yixing blinked as they walked down the corridor. Many people in uniform greeted and bowed to his new friends, Minseok and Dongwoo. When he had first arrived, his bag had been taken by a guard, and Yixing was surprised. Just who were they?

 

"Minnie, I need to check on the kids again.  I'll go catch up with you guys after that, okay?" Dongwoo patted Minseok on the back and quickly left.

 

Yixing cleared his throat. "Uh, Minseok-ssi? You still haven't told me why we are here."

 

Minseok cursed Dongwoo under his breath, rubbing his temple with one hand while the other was on his hip. He turned to Yixing with a forced smile. "You must be tired. Let's go to your room first, Yixing-ssi."

 

Yixing parted his lips but shut it when he saw Minseok’s tired eyes. “Okay.”

  
  
  
  
  
  


"Are you sure that I can stay here?" Yixing sat on the bed with wide eyes. His bag was already in the room and he could see the field from the opened window. Many people were training there and he was trying to guess what their jobs were.

 

"Yeah. It's my room, actually. I can just sleep with Dongwoo so you don't have to worry. Let me introduce myself again. I am Kim Minseok and I'm a royal guards trainer, just like Dongwoo." Minseok bowed, causing Yixing to quickly stand up and bow in return.

 

"So this is the Castle? Where the King and his family live?” Yixing gaped in amazement. “Is it possible for me to live in here, a stranger that you only met a couple of hours before?"

 

"Yes, Yixing-ssi. I'm sure that if you can help us with your knowledge, then you can stay for as long as you’d like."

 

Yixing grinned at Minseok, leaning back on the bed. Feeling the soft sheets, he gave a small smile. "This color reminds me of my own sheets back home."

 

Minseok sat on the desk across from him. "May I ask why you became a scientist?"

 

"It might be a bit shocking, but my parents can’t do any magic. My grandparents can but my parents can’t, so I guess I’ve always wanted to know why that was so.”

 

"Did you get your answer?"

 

"No. I gave up around last year. There's no way you can find out. It's just God's decision, I guess. All I know is that those who have this gift called magic are more special and they should use it to help normal people." Yixing tilted his head when he saw Minseok’s amused smile. "Did I say something weird?"

 

Minseok chuckled, shaking his head. "No. It's just rare to find someone like you these days. You sounded genuine and seem very kind."

 

"Is it a bad thing to be kind? I’ve heard that a lot from people that I met in different countries."

 

"It's not bad. The bad ones are those who take advantage of you."

  
  
  
  
  
  


Minseok left Yixing for a while, saying that he will bring someone with him. Yixing sighed, his eyes scanning the room uneasily. He was always thankful to those people who offered him a place to stay, but this time, it was different.

 

He was staying at the Castle, where the King lived! Was his knowledge of black magic that important?

 

Black magic was a subject that Yixing avoided before but eventually he had met a great wizard who had taught him the benefits in learning it.

 

Yixing recalled it being a horrible experience. The months of training were so hard and Yixing would never forget it, the feeling of controlling an evil power where you had to sacrifice your time, mind, body, and soul. He almost went crazy at first when he couldn’t master it, but the wizard had said that was just normal. _If it’s hard for you to control, then that means it’s not for you._ Only wicked people could control it easily.

  
  
  
  
  


Yixing was still waiting when Minseok came back with someone. A tall man with a lively smile followed Minseok inside; his eyes caught Yixing’s gaze and the man’s smile got even wider.

 

"Yixing-ssi, I want to introduce you to our lovely scientist, Chanyeol. Chanyeol, this is the scientist that I bumped into at the market, Yixing." Minseok pushed Chanyeol forward, and the two shook hands.

 

"It’s nice to meet another scientist, Chanyeol-ssi."

 

"The pleasure is mine. I heard from Minseok hyung that you travel around? It’s very interesting to meet someone like you. I’m the type who prefers to stay inside a room and make things rather than travelling around."

 

"I would love to see your goods. I’ve never met another scientist before," Yixing beamed.

 

"And I can't wait to hear your story, especially about black magic! We are in urgent need of someone like you right now." Chanyeol began talking about their country and their battles with the Runners. Yixing listened intently and decided that he was willing to help them.

 

"I'm sure Chanyeol-ssi here already knows the basics of black magic. You said you all learned it in school, right?" Yixing asked, eyes moving from Chanyeol to Minseok.

 

"Yes, but Chanyeol knows more than me," Minseok answered.

 

"Alright. You said that the Runners can perform black magic and I can help you by sharing everything that I know and have learned about black magic. The problem here is the Lapis Lazuli. It's the one that's very powerful and hard to defeat. You have to get something to match that power. Either you search for another rare gemstone or attack the Runners with black magic. Having a great strategies will also help, in my opinion."

 

Minseok shook his head. “Good strategies don’t work. Our Catchers have been chasing them but we never win. We only get injured. They like to move around a lot, and our undercover who’s currently working with them can’t reveal their hiding place because it's too dangerous."

 

Yixing hummed. "Is there anyone who's kind but has had bad experiences before? Something that can trigger his or her dark side easily?" He had an idea; maybe he he could teach someone black magic.

 

"I'm not—what do you mean by dark side?"

 

"Someone with a dark past can do. There’s no one on your side who can perform black magic, right? I think you need to have at least one black magic user. You’re probably wondering why I don’t use it myself, but I’m sorry. I promised my teacher that I wouldn’t use it, only teach it."

 

"But—"

 

"I don’t think that’s a bad idea, hyung." Chanyeol spoke up.

 

Yixing could see Minseok’s fist clench. Clearly, he didn’t like the idea.

 

"It's just a suggestion. You don't have to take it, Minseok-ssi," Yixing said.

 

Minseok gulped. "At this rate, even if I don't want it, I have to do everything to protect the country."

 

Yixing could see the determination in his eyes. Reaching out, Yixing gave him a reassuring pat on the arm. "Don't worry, I will help you."

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


After a few more conversations about black magic, and a few words about how their days went, Minseok and Chanyeol left Yixing to himself. Yixing flopped down on the bed, sighing deeply.

 

He couldn’t believe what he’d just gotten himself into. It all started when he thought he’d recognized some people who had bullied him before. He shouldn’t have followed them into the alley. Then he wouldn’t have met Minseok and Dongwoo. And he wouldn’t have been dragged into this mess.

 

This was huge. It was different from what Yixing was used to, and it was a country matter so it was definitely dangerous. He even talked about teaching someone black magic. He really should take care of his big mouth. He almost died learning black magic and now he wants to teach it to someone? Was he even capable of doing it?

 

Shaking his head, he sank back against the pillows. Sleeping seemed like a good way to forget about the problem for a while. Maybe by the morning, he wouldn’t regret his decision so much.

  
  
  
  


***

  
  
  
  


Yixing woke up feeling calm and warm. The bed was so comfortable and there's a strange yet calming scent, one he guessed belonged to Minseok. Glancing at the time, he sighed. It was ten o'clock in the morning and he was still in bed. That was rare.

 

He sat up after couple of minutes, leaning against the pillows and staring blankly into nothing. He scratched his head, sleep still lingering in his body.

 

"What should I do today..."

 

Getting out of bed, he slowly made his way to the bathroom. After taking a bath, he heard a knock at the door. Opening the door, he was greeted by Dongwoo’s wide smile.

 

"Hey! I thought you were still sleeping."

 

"You came before?"

 

"Yeah. I wanted to wake you up but Minseok said to let you rest. Are you hungry?"

 

"Starving." Yixing rubbed his belly. Dongwoo laughed, gesturing at him to follow for brunch.

  
  
  
  
  
  


After eating, Dongwoo gave Yixing a small tour, showing him the field where they found Minseok training the trainee guards. Dongwoo told Yixing about Minseok, how he was the first son of the prestigious Kim family, and how they became best friends when they met at their exams. Yixing listened intently while watching Minseok.

 

"Why did both of you want to become trainers?" Yixing asked.

 

"Minseok said that it was his dream since he was young while I met my brother's friend at school and thought that his job was cool. It is a cool job but aside from that, I think we both love our country very much and want to protect it."

 

Yixing hummed. "It kind of suits you two. Are you guys a couple, by the way?"  

 

"Excuse me?" Dongwoo turned in shock. He laughed, patting Yixing's shoulder. "Sorry, but as much as I love him, I won't be his boyfriend. He's complicated, and even if I could understand him, I'm just not into men."

 

"Oh."

 

"Why, are you interested? He's kind of cute, right?"

 

"He is. You said he's complicated though."

 

"It took a while to understand him but once you know his true self, you won't regret it."

  
  



	16. Chapter 16

Kris tried to hide his smile when he saw how happy Seungwan and Tao were. Both of them jumped in place while hugging each other. Sunyoung, Changhyun, and JB had big grins on their faces when Seungwan and Tao finally succeeded in controlling their powers and hit the shooting target on point. The damages weren't too big to handle this time, and the others could take down their barriers without having to worry that they would get hit.

 

Kris knew that Yunho's plan would start very soon, and he's wasn’t sure if the Ministry and the Castle were ready for their attacks. Yunho said this attack would only be a test but he knew many people would still get hurt, just like before. Knowing how powerful their weapons were, if they could pass the royals guard easily this time, then Kris was sure the Runners would come back again very soon for a real attack. If the Catchers weren’t able to stop the Runners them with the information he gave to Junmyeon, then the Runners would win and Kris didn’t know if he would have a chance to escape.

 

"Oppa?"

 

Kris blinked, stopping his train of thought, and stared down at Seungwan. "Yeah?"

 

"I did great, right?" The girl tilted her head cutely with a wide smile on her lips.

 

"Yes, you did wonderfully. You as well, Tao. I'm happy that we are finally ready. We just have to wait for Yunho hyung's order now." He ruffled Seungwan's hair, eyes flickering over to Tao who gave two thumbs up.

 

"Can we go back now? I'm really hungry..." Changhyun pouted, leaning against Sunyoung who pushed him away instantly. JB laughed at them and wrapped an arm around Changhyun's shoulder. Changhyun threw a hurt look at Sunyoung, who just glared back before flashing him a teasing smile.

 

Kris looked at them, mixed feelings overwhelming him. "Yeah, let's go back and eat."

  
  
  
  
  
  


Yunho was waiting for them at the dining table, numerous papers scattered on it. The members gulped uncomfortably at the sight. Yunho was working, which meant they would have to postpone lunch, maybe even an hour, and Changhyun pouted hard as he stared at JB who only patted his back in comfort.

 

"Oh, you guys are back!" Yunho smiled, motioning at them to sit. "Since Kris said that you all would be ready by today, I'm planning for you to attack the Castle tomorrow night."

 

"Tomorrow? Isn't that too soon?" Kris glanced at one of the papers. He saw a blueprint of the Castle. _Where did he get that from?_

 

"Yeah, but the boss said that the Ministry is currently busy with the Catchers so I'm sure there won't be many of them that can get to the Castle in a short amount of time. You guys can defeat the royal guards just fine. If you lose, then you just have to practise more." Yunho looked at the members who only nodded before realizing something.

 

"I was wondering why none of you seemed interested. You just got back and I'm sure that all of you must be hungry. I'm sorry, you can eat first before we continue talking about this. I'm hungry too."

 

Changhyun sighed in relief. Sunyoung and Seungwan quickly went to prepare the food in kitchen, JB following only to be pushed back by Sunyoung. She scoffed when JB pouted.

  
  
  
  
  


Kris stared at the moon for a moment before he closed the window, sighing loudly as he went to bedIt was dark and he usually could sleep right away, but the image of wounded Catchers came to mind and he felt his heart sting a little. It was his job. It was okay for him to hurt them. It wasn’t like he killed them.

 

But will he kill someone tomorrow?

 

He wasn't sure if he could minimize the damage tomorrow. It would be too obvious if he prevented the others from killing someone like before. It would be dangerous if he sent another letter to Junmyeon. What could he do?

 

Kris groaned as he closed his eyes, searching for a comfortable position. He had to rest soon because tomorrow would be a very long day.

  
  
  


***

  
  
  


Kris didn't get nervous. He hasn’t been nervous since he was seventeen, but at lunch, he felt like puking. He was worried about the royal guards. Thank God he had mastered his poker face so that no one could notice how troubled he was on the inside. The other members were nervous too but mostly in excitement of their upcoming attack. They had a morning practise where Yunho had monitored them to make sure everyone got their position right and memorized their roles and moves.

 

Kris knew the kids would do a great job, they always did. He could stop worrying about Tao as he was positioned in the back and probably wouldn’t get an injury this time. Sooyoung and Taecyeon wouldn’t go with them this time as they had a different task. Kris hadn’t hear a word from Yunho about where they were going this time and it had only stressed him out more. It was rare for Yunho not to tell him everything, but asking him would only raise suspicion. Kris needed to focus on his job, not the be curious about the couple.

 

"Hyung?"

 

"Yeah?" Kris turned to Changhyun with a smile.

 

"Aren't you going to finish?" Changhyun pointed at Kris' plate. The other had already finished eating, and only Kris, Changhyun and Seungwan were left in the dining room.

 

"Yeah, just—" Kris licked his lips, taking a bite of his food. Changhyun looked at him worriedly.

 

"Don't worry, hyung. Tao won't be injured tonight, and Seungwan will do great with Sunyoung." Changhyun grinned when Seungwan pinched his arm.

 

"I believe we will succeed tonight."

 

"But you're thinking of something, oppa. Your brows are being scary again." Seungwan ruffled Changhyun's hair and the youngest leaned into her touch.

 

"I feel kind of weird. It's hard to finish this..." Kris pointed at his plate, causing both Changhyun and Seungwan to look at him in shock.

 

"Are you sick?!" they asked loudly in unison.

 

Kris leaned back at their sudden outburst. "No, I'm okay. I just—Seungwan." He sighed when Seungwan jumped to his side, Changhyun joining her on Kris’ side. Kris grunted as they both touched his forehead.

 

Kris had fallen sick twice while undercover, and both times had been quite bad. The members had panicked when they saw strong Kris so ill. Kris was overworked, just like when he was in the Ministry, and sometimes it lead to lack of sleep, causing him to get sick easily. His best friend was usually there to take care of him,but he wasn’t here now so Kris was thankful that the members were there for him.

 

"It's normal," Changhyun commented about Kris’ temperature.

 

"You don't have to finish it if you don't want to, oppa," Seungwan frowned.

 

"I'm fine. I need energy for tonight so I have to finish this. You both should join the others. I can't eat if you keep staring like that," Kris chuckled, shooing them both out.

 

Kris stared at the leftovers on his plate before dumping them in the sink. He searched for a cold drink in the fridge before leaving the house. He needed to clear his mind.

  
  
  
  


***

  
  
  


Tao sat on the carpet, watching his friends play card. Clearing his throat, he tried to get their attention. “Where did Kris hyung go?"

 

"Maybe he went out for a walk. Just wait until he gets back." JB narrowed his eyes, hands ready to choose a card.

 

"But it will be too late if I wait for him!" Tao leaned against Sunyoung's thigh. The girl showed her cards to Tao who gave her a thumbs up.

 

"Why do you need him?" JB finally put down the card he chose and Changhyun made a strangled noise because he had just lost. Changhyun threw down his cards, glaring as he kicked JB in the butt. JB only smirked at him, and Changhyun faked a wail to Seungwan who shushed him and ruffled his hair.

 

"I need to talk to him. You know, about backup plans in case something happens?" Tao lowered down his voice, eyes lingering on the stairs.

 

"Can’t you just ask Yun hyung?" Changhyun asked.

 

"I'm afraid of him. You know how he hates it when I'm not confident..." Tao frowned when he felt a hand on his hair. Sunyoung was ruffling his hair, and he wondered if maybe in the girls’ eyes, the male members were dogs or puppies cause they did that a lot.

 

"Don't worry, Tao." Sunyoung leaned down, kissing the taller man’s head. "We should be excited because we are going to the Castle!"

 

Changhyun gasped out loud. "You kissed him!!"

 

"It's a good luck kiss." Sunyoung rolled her eyes. She smiled when Tao chuckled.

 

"Thanks." Tao moved onto the couch and pecked Sunyoung's cheek.

 

"Noona, can I have a good luck kiss too?" Changhyun pouted to Seungwan who nudged him in the ribs.

 

"You're being clingy again, Hyunnie."

 

Seeing Chanhyun’s puppy face, JB hid his laughter behind his cards.

  
  
  
  
  
  


Tao waited until Kris returned before grabbing his arm and leading him back out of the house. Ignoring Kris’ questioning look, he just said they should take a stroll.

 

After some minutes and Tao was sure that it was safe to talk, they stopped.

 

"What is it?" Kris leaned against a tree, arms folded and eyebrows raised.

 

Tao gulped. He didn't know who was scarier, Yunho or Kris. Yunho was scary when he didn't have a smile on his face whereas Kris' smile rarely reached his eyes. "I need to tell you something."

 

"Tao, if this is about tonight—"

 

"It's not that!" Tao cut. He bit his lips at the shocked look on Kris' face. Tao suddenly thought that this wasn't a good idea. He should just keep it a secret. But he hadn’t had a secret since he came to this group and he wanted so badly to share it with someone. He didn't know if he could tell the other members but he somehow knew Kris could keep it to himself. "I met someone."

 

Kris inhaled. "Okay."

 

"Someone from the town." Tao glanced up at Kris and continued. "It was when I almost got caught. I was bleeding badly that time and I accidentally saw someone. I know I shouldn't have done it, but it was raining hard so I brought him to the cabin." He shuffled his feet, eyes on the ground.

 

"Continue."

 

"He healed me, hyung. He said his name was Jonghyun and he was running away from home because he had a fight with his parents. We waited until the rain stopped and I brought him back to the town and that’s all. Please don't tell this to anyone, I just—" Tao looked up and met Kris' eyes. "I want to tell this to others but I'm scared. Can you please keep it a secret, hyung? For me?"

 

Noticing Tao’s teary eyes, Kris walked over to him. "Hey, now. Why do you look like you're about to cry? It's okay, I won’t tell anyone."

 

Tao blinked a couple of times to dry his tears. "I'm sorry, but I was really afraid that the Catchers would get me. I didn't have a choice, hyung, I panicked. It was a good thing that he healed me, and he's a lot better than Taec hyung. He amazingly healed my wound in only five minutes!"

 

Kris stiffened upon hearing that. "Was this that time when you came back with no wounds at all?"

 

"Yes. I got a burnt on my stomach, here. See? There's no scar left." Tao lifted his shirt. As he said, there was no scar, only a few faint ones from previous fights.

 

Kris inhaled silently. Not everyone could heal without leaving a scar. No scar meant a great healer. There was no way Tao met a normal wizard who ran away to the forest because the citizens knew not to go near the forest. It wasn’t safe and the only ones who would go there were none other than Catchers.

 

Tao had met one of the Catchers and he hadn’t even realized it.

 

"It's good that you took him back to the town. What was his name again? Jonghyun?"

 

"Yes! He said he wanted to have a small shop to help normal people." Tao unconsciously smiled at the memory.

 

Kris knew that Runners couldn’t meet anyone outside the group. They were forbidden to go to the town, and only Sooyoung, Taecyeon, and Kris were allowed to go. Tao was obviously ecstatic upon meeting a stranger with whom he could have a normal conversation. He didn’t realize the dangers this could bring him.

 

"I hope I can meet him again someday. I owe him one."

 

Kris put his hand on Tao's shoulder, his lips lifting into a small smile. "You shouldn't say that, Tao. You know it'll be dangerous if he knows what your job is. Don't do this again next time. You're lucky he's not a Catcher. You know what will happen if he is, right?"

 

Tao nodded, his eyes getting dark at the thought. "I might be dead by now."

 

"Nah, not dead. Maybe you'll have a broken bone or two, or some nasty wounds, but you wouldn’t die," Kris shook his head, pulling his hand back.

 

"That's not comforting, hyung," Tao frowned.

 

Kris chuckled. "I'm sorry. It's just that I know you're weaker than some of them. Not all, but you're still learning. You will become stronger. I know it, Tao."

 

Tao smiled and hugged him, thanking him for trusting him and training him for all those months.

 

"It's my job as a brother, Tao." Kris could only imagine how much hate he would receive when the members would find out he had betrayed them.

  
  
  


***

  
  
  


Seungwan jumped excitedly a couple of times and Sunyoung stopped her by putting her hands on her shoulders. Seungwan grinned sheepishly.

 

"I'm nervous."

 

"We all are."

 

Changhyun checked his bow again while JB talked with Tao and Kris.

 

“We will split up after we take down the guards in the back. Remember that we only have ten minutes before we have to get back to our meeting point. Do not get near the Royal Guards building," Kris instructed.

 

"What if one of us gets caught?" Tao asked.  Kris could tell he was anxious. There would be many royal guards and the group didn’t have an advantage this time. Even with Yunho’s blueprints, they were unfamiliar with the place. That’s why this mission was just a test, an opportunity to observe the Castle and prepare for their next attack.

 

"None of us will get caught. Just focus on your job and get to the meeting point after ten minutes. Sunyoung, Seungwan." Kris waited for the girls to approach him. "If you have any bad feelings, then just go back straight to the meeting point, okay? Getting back safely is more important than collecting information tonight."

 

Kris made eye contact with each of the members. "Hurt but don't kill."

  
  
  
  
  


As soon as they reached the Castle’s magic barrier, Changhyun started to work with JB, combining their skills and spells to break a small portion of the barrier without being noticed. It didn't take long before the barrier was broken, allowing a small space for them to get inside.

 

They went to the back garden, counting how many royal guards were there before Kris gave the cue for them to attack. Seungwan and Sunyoung silently charged at the royal guards when they were close, taking them down quickly without making many sounds. Changhyun and JB went to the other side to do the work while Kris and Tao were watching from afar, making sure that no more guards were approaching.

 

"Hyung, I see someone in the window. There, on the left side," Tao whispered.

 

Kris set his eyes on a moving shadow behind one of the windows. "It's okay. I bet it's just—"

 

A loud scream erupted, causing Kris and Tao to snap their heads in that direction. It belonged to a man and their members were nowhere in sight.

 

Tao was ready to move but Kris stopped him. "Stay."

 

Kris calmly looked around, focusing on the surroundings. A small light came from near the building and Tao sighed in relief. It was JB's signal, indicating that they were safe. Kris replied back by making a small light from his hand and turned to Tao with a chuckle.

 

"Relax, Tao. Come on." Kris stood up and ran with Tao to the Castle. Kris paused to count the number of royal guards that his members had taken down. Realizing that the Castle had raised its defense, Kris smiled. He cast a spell to hide the royal guards from normal eyes before telling Tao to move. They needed to get inside the Castle from the nearest door.

  
  



	17. Chapter 17

Baekhyun saw something moving from outside his window. He was just about to turn off the light after closing the curtains when he caught the movement. Maybe it was a royal guard? He went back to the window after turning off the light, trying to see.

 

Seeing nothing, he shrugged and was about to turn back when he saw something glint. He blinked.

 

"What's that?"

 

Baekhyun pressed his face to the window, widening his eyes. Maybe he was just imagining things. He scanned the garden but didn't see anything again. He huffed and rolled his eyes, walking to his bed before stopping.

 

"Should I tell Chanyeol?"

 

Baekhyun had visited Chanyeol at night before, and he admitted that he tried to find reasons to see his tutor. He knew Chanyeol liked to work past midnight and Baekhyun would be worried so he would check on him by making up some excuse like how he couldn’t sleep.

 

This time he didn't have any excuse though. He felt like he saw something and it was okay to go to Chanyeol, right?

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Baekhyun was about to turn down the corridor when he bumped into someone. The person caught him before he could fall.

 

"Be careful, My Prince."

 

Baekhyun frowned upon seeing Minseok at this hour. "What are you doing here?"

 

"Routine checking" Minseok smiled, letting go of Baekhyun's hands. "Shouldn't you be in bed, My Prince?"

 

"Yeah, I was about to, but I saw something in the garden. There are royal guards out there, right?"

 

"Yes, they are many royal guards there, My Prince. May I know why you are not sleeping yet?"

 

"I was about to but, uh..."

 

"Chanyeol is currently with Sehun, My Prince. I just went there about twenty minutes ago."

 

"Who said that I wanted to go and see him?" Baekhyun looked up in surprise, his voice raised a little but Minseok's smile didn't falter.

 

"It was just a guess, My Prince."

 

"I just feeling kind of hungry..." Baekhyun murmured, his hand tugging on the hem of his pyjamas.

 

"My Prince, I guess—"

 

_"MINNIE!!"_

 

Minseok and Baekhyun quickly turned to see Dongwoo running furiously towards them.

 

"Dongwoo?"

 

"I've been searching for you! Someone just came to me and said that the back guards were gone!"

 

"They what?!" Minseok put a hand on Dongwoo who tried to catch his breath.

 

"I'm not sure either, that's why I'm looking for you. Something is not right. We have to go quickly, Minnie!" Dongwoo pulled Minseok's hand but Minseok stopped him.

 

"My Prince, please hurry and go to your parents’ room with your brother. I'll send more guards there." Minseok held Baekhyun's hands for seconds, squeezing tightly, before he let go and followed Dongwoo to the guards' building.

  
  
  
  
  
  


 

 

When Minseok and Dongwoo arrived, many trainers were already outside and Minseok saw some Catchers running around. Seeing the Commander, he ran over to ask what had happened.

 

"The barrier was broken. Someone broke inside. Back guards were defeated. I'm not sure if the intruders are still here but I already sent a couple of teams to search around the area." The Commander directed another group to go and fix the barrier.

 

"I met Prince Baekhyun on my way here and told him to go to his parents’ room with his brother."

 

"Great. I already sent two teams there. The Catchers are tracking, but they are sure it’s the Runners." The Commander frowned, his expression dark and serious, and Minseok could see that he was troubled. It wasn't easy to break the barrier and if the Runners had managed to do so, just how powerful were they?

 

"The undercover might be with them. His information is correct," Dongwoo whispered to Minseok.

 

The Commander ordered for the trainers to go inside the building while the other royal guards stayed outside.

 

"Minnie, what do you think they're planning to do?" Dongwoo whispered to Minseok as they walked inside with other trainers.

 

"I really have no idea. I couldn't imagined that the attack would have  come this soon."

  
  
  


***

  
  
  


"There are too many people. We should head back!" JB took deep breath, waiting for Changhyun to check the condition around them.

 

"Yeah, it seems like they found out about the barrier. Come on, hyung!" Changhyun started moving and JB followed him. They had to go back to the meeting point.

 

At the meeting point, Seungwan and Sunyoung were already waiting for them. Their faces told the boys that it hadn't gone well for them either.

 

"Tao and Kris Hyung?" Changhyun asked in worry.

 

"Let's wait for a few more minutes. A guard came out of nowhere and he saw me. I took him down but Seungwan saw more guards coming so we decided to run away," Sunyoung answered. Her hands were tightly wrapped around Seungwan’s own.

 

"I’m sorry, we shouldn’t have gone back so early…” Seungwan sniffed.

 

"Hey, no no. Seungwan-ah, it's okay. Kris hyung said our safety is more important, did you forget that?" JB whispered, hugging her tightly.

 

"They won't get caught, right?" Changhyun tried not to show any emotion but he couldn't help but worry.

 

"They won't. Kris hyung is with Tao so they will be fine." JB smiled at Changhyun and Sunyoung.

  
  
  


***

  
  
  


"Get down!" Kris fired his gun to slow down the guards from chasing them. Tao was running in front of him but he kept looking back to him and it frustrated Kris. He could take care of both of them; he needed Tao to focus on getting past the gate and to the meeting point.

 

Kris looked back once again. It wouldn’t do. Too many guards were chasing them and he knew they got—

 

A sudden force pushed Kris back and he rolled his body before he could hit the ground.

 

Catchers.

 

Kris cursed upon seeing the familiar faces and robes. He quickly stood up while casting barriers around him. He ran to follow Tao who was already outside the gate but then another attack passed through his barrier and one of the Catchers created a wall to prevent him from reaching the gate.

 

Three, four, five Catchers were there. Kris took a deep breath. His arm had gotten hurt earlier by the guard and blood started to seep through his shirt. A pain spread across Kris’ back and he gritted his teeth as he felt another wound form.

 

Kris had no choice. He lifted his hands, pointing his gun to the sky and shut his eyes. Feeling his power flowing into the weapon, he whispered a spell before taking two shots in the Catchers’ direction. A blaze of light came at the moment Kris turned his body. He narrowed his eyes and took a single shot to break the wall between him and Tao while the Catchers got blinded by the light. He charged towards the gate and saw that Tao was waiting for him.

 

They had no time.

 

Kris grabbed Tao's hand and teleported them to the meeting point.

  
  
  
  
  
  


Changhyun was shocked when Kris and Tao suddenly appeared in front of them. The others quickly stood up and joined them, asking if they were okay.

 

"We need to get back right now," Kris ordered.

 

"Oppa! You're hurt!" Seungwan shouted when she saw the blood dripping off Kris’ arm.

 

"No time for that. We have to leave or they'll catch us." Kris glanced at his back. "Go into formation again. Now."

 

Seungwan and Sunyoung started moving, followed by Changhyun and JB. Kris ignored Tao’s questioning look and focused on moving his feet despite the pounding in his head and the pain that spread across his body.

  
  
  


***

  
  
  


Minseok couldn't believe what he had seen when he had followed the Commander to the injured royal guards. Seeing with his own eyes and hearing how the Runners got away made his blood boil.

 

Why exactly were they doing this?

 

He felt a hand on his fist and he turned to see Dongwoo shaking his head. "What?"

 

"Your face. It's like you're ready to kill someone."

 

Minseok groaned, walking away from Dongwoo.

 

"Minnie, we can't do anything."

 

"I know." Minseok stopped. "I'm just pissed. It's so easy to take the guards down like—we _trained_ them, Dongwoo. It means that we are not as good as them."

 

"You forgot that they have better weapons than us."

 

Minseok's frown was gone in a second. Right, he forgot about the weapons that multiplied the damages. Of course the guards lost.

 

"Minseok, we really need to go to Junmyeon and found out what this is all about."

 

Minseok inhaled when Dongwoo didn't say Minnie. Dongwoo stared at him and he could see he was trying to hide his emotions. He was angry, just like the others. It was frustrating. It was as if the Runners were playing with them because they hadn’t done anything except hurt the guards. Maybe because the undercover was with them? It was a good thing that no one died so far but they really needed to get ready for the next attack.

  
  
  
  


***

  
  
  


Kris woke up to see the white curtain in his room. His chest was pressed against the mattress and he whimpered when he lifted his head to feel the pain on his back.

 

"Taecyeon will arrive soon."

 

Kris slowly put his head back down. Yunho came into view and he had a smile on his lips.

 

"We already put some medicine on your wounds. Try not to move so much."

 

Kris murmured in agreement, closing his eyes. His head started to pound again and he hated it. He wouldn’t be able to sleep with the pain.

 

"Good job today." Yunho sat on the bed, tilting his head to see Kris' pale face. "How come you got hurt?"

 

"I covered for Tao. There were some Catchers there."

 

"Hmm...I'm just glad that you're safe. The kids panicked when you collapsed as soon as you arrived."

 

Kris only smiled when Yunho placed a hand on his shoulder. "When will we go back and attack them again?"

 

"Well, I have to report this to the boss first."

 

"What we are going to do then?"

 

"I'm going to be honest with you— I don't know. All I know is that he's planning on revenge." Yunho turned his head when he heard a knock on the door. "I'll tell you the details next time. Get some rest, Kris." He stood up to open the door for Taecyeon before leaving.

 

"Damn. What happened to you, Kris?" Taecyeon slid on his gloves and leaned over him.  He put his hands on Kris' back and started to heal it.

 

"I seriously don't know what hit my back. Is it bad? I haven't even see it with my— _Yah! Don't press your hand there!_ " he hissed to a chuckling Taecyeon.

 

"Sorry."

 

After a few minutes Kris could relax his body as half of the pain was gone. His head wasn't pounding anymore and he felt like he could fall asleep at any minute.

 

"Hyung, do you know who the boss is?" Kris whispered.

 

"I do."

 

Kris turned to him. "Have you met him?"

 

"No. But I've seen him before. I'm sure you have too."

 

Kris turned his head slightly. "I have?"

 

"Yeah. I thought you already knew. Seems like Yunho hasn’t told you about him, huh?" Taecyeon pressed on another spot to heal.

 

"Who is it?"

 

"It's the King's brother."

  
  



	18. Chapter 18

Junmyeon couldn't handle the pressure of being in his office. He wanted to go home but there was no one in their house. His parents were currently traveling to the neighboring country, and being alone at home with only his thoughts wouldn’t help him. Going to the town might distract him from his problems but he didn't want to wander alone either.

 

He looked down, sighing at all the notes that cluttered his desk. The last attack from the Runners had caused chaos inside the Ministry; all the departments were asking about the attack and they had an important meeting this morning. This was a major problem so Junmyeon knew he wouldn’t be needed until the meeting was finished. The barrier to the Castle had been broken just like that with some weapons and the rare gemstone, which meant that they needed to make more plans while waiting for their own weapons to finish.

 

Maybe going to the Castle could help Junmyeon. He could stroll around the training grounds and maybe even investigate while he was there.

 

Junmyeon stood up before looking back down at his notes. He should bring them; maybe he would have time to read them and perhaps get some ideas.

  
  
  
  
  
  


Junmyeon stared at all the people gathered inside Chanyeol's room. Maybe he chose the wrong day or even the wrong time to visit; they all looked so serious with so many papers scattered on the table.

 

He knew he should have visited Minseok first.

 

"Am I interrupting something?" Junmyeon asked, hands behind his back. Chanyeol had let him in so maybe he could join them without saying anything? Listening to people talk calmed Junmyeon down sometimes.

 

He had heard about Sehun who had moved in with Luhan. When they were younger, Sehun had visited their house countless times to play with Jongin, and he remembered meeting Luhan once or twice with Kyungsoo. Junmyeon exchanged smiles with Luhan whenever they passed each other in the Ministry but they never really talk to each other.

 

Junmyeon titled his head when he saw an unfamiliar man sitting next to Luhan.

 

"No, you're not, Junmyeon hyung. Please, take a seat" Chanyeol said, gesturing for him to sit.

 

"Uhm, you can just ignore me and continue what you're doing." Junmyeon smiled when his eyes caught Sehun's gaze. "Hello, Sehun. It's been a while."

 

"Hey, how are you, hyung?"

 

"Not that good. I come here because staying at my office is driving me crazy," Junmyeon chuckled. He blinked when Chanyeol put a hand on his shoulder, making him turn in confusion.

 

"Hyung, let me introduce you to our project members. Luhan hyung here volunteered himself to help—we obviously know it's because of Sehun," Chanyeol leaned in to whisper. "And this one here is a scientist who came from another country. Minseok hyung found him actually and he's great in black magic. His name is Yixing. Yixing hyung, this is Minseok hyung's brother, Kim Junmyeon."

 

"Pleasure to meet you." Yixing offered his hand and his dimple smile made Junmyeon feel instantly better as they shook hands.

 

"The pleasure is mine. I haven't heard about this black magic business. Does the Ministry know?" Junmyeon narrowed his eyes when Chanyeol's laugh sounded weirder than usual, his left eye twitching a little.

 

"They appointed Sehun but I guess you can trust me, right?” Luhan gave his best smile to Junmyeon who thought for a moment before shrugging.

 

“Yeah, I guess it’s okay. As long as you don’t tell this to anyone.”

 

“That’s great! Anyway, hyung, we are currently discussing the weapon and Yixing hyung told us that we need someone who can learn black magic. He said that if we have a black magic user on our side, then it can bring us some advantages.” Chanyeol glanced at Yixing before staring back at Junmyeon."Maybe you have someone in mind, hyung?"

 

Junmyeon didn't know why but Jongin came to his mind. The youngest Kim had always liked to study and learn new things; even now Jongin still liked to go to bookstores to find either old or new magic books. He would be able to learn black magic in no time and master it.

 

"Excuse me, I have to repeat again that black magic requires not only mind and body but also the soul. The person has to let out his darkest feelings to be able to succeed in controlling black magic. It wasn't easy for me either, and I wanted to stop halfway as I felt like I was dying, losing myself to my negative thoughts. Black magic is very dangerous and I can't just teach it to anyone." Yixing wasn’t smiling anymore, a rather angry vibe coming from him.

 

Sehun saw Junmyeon become uncomfortable at Yixing’s words, so he cleared his throat, "I think we can continue this talk tomorrow. Chanyeol hyung finally finished the prototype and we want to test it with some royal guards. Why don’t we go to Minseok hyung and ask him to try it?"

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Dongwoo ran to Junmyeon, hugging him tightly and lifting him off the ground. Junmyeon shrieked in surprise.

 

"Dongwoo, put him down!" Minseok used his magic, creating a strong wind that pushed both Dongwoo and Junmyeon to the ground.

 

As they got up, Junmyeon checked for injuries. Minseok groaned out loud, pulling Junmyeon away and telling him to ignore Dongwoo. "What are you doing here, Jun?"

 

"I wanted to see what really happened. Did they fix the barrier already?" Junmyeon smiled when Minseok patted his head.

 

"Yes. Why are you bringing them, though? You alone is enough to distract the kids." Minseok pointed at the crowd behind Junmyeon.

 

"Who?"

 

Minseok shook his head, leading Junmyeon to the other four who were talking with Dongwoo. "What do we have here?"

 

"Minnie! They brought some prototypes. They want to test it! I will call Hakyeon and Yoseob here, wait." Dongwoo had already walked away before Minseok could say anything. Dongwoo was shouting for the in-training-guards to take a break and talk with them.

 

Minseok turned back to the four and saw the duffel bag Chanyeol was holding. Chanyeol grinned to him, nodding as if he could reak Minseok’s mind.

 

"I already checked it and it's safe. Well, I'm used to channeling my power into these weapons. I'm not sure about them, though," Sehun confirmed when Minseok faced him.

 

"And what are Luhan and Yixing doing here?"

 

The two said men pouted at Minseok's words. Luhan tugged on Sehun's shirt while Yixing just showed his dimple smile. Minseok rolled his eyes, calling them to follow him to a safer place to test the weapons.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Hakyeon and Yoseob succeeded in using the weapons. They were surprised at the degree of damages while Chanyeol was ecstatic. Sehun took note of the difficulties that Hakyeon and Yoseob had when they were trying the weapons and gave a huge thanks to the two for helping them.

 

Junmyeon watched silently beside Minseok and Dongwoo who talked about the trainers and royals guards, silently storing what he heard in his head. He glanced between Luhan and Yixing who looked like they were in a deep conversation about black magic. They looked so serious.

 

"I think we should appoint more Catchers. One said that they might have hurt one of the Runners, and it will take time for them to get back here, unless a different group attacks. Junmyeon's boss said that he hadn’t heard of any other Runners that could do black magic, only that one from his group."

 

Junmyeon quickly looked to his brother. "It's true that this was my boss’ group?"

 

"Yeah. The Commander thought that they broke the barrier using black magic," Minseok answered. He smiled to Hakyeon and Yoseob who nodded to them, getting back to practise outside with bright expressions.

 

"Minnie, can I try the weapon too?" Dongwoo grinned widely when Minseok agreed, hugging him briefly before running over to Sehun and Chanyeol.

 

"You don't want to try it?" Junmyeon chuckled when he saw Sehun raise an eyebrow at Dongwoo while Chanyeol gave the trainer some instructions.

 

"I want to, can't you see that it looks cool? But nah, I don't want to get addicted. I might lose control when it’s in my hands," Minseok chuckled.

 

Junmyeon grinned as he continued to watch Dongwoo. “Hyung, want to tell me what really happened that night?”

 

Minseok turned to Junmyeon who was staring back at him. “I should have known that you came here for work.”  

  
  
  
  
  


Minseok and Junmyeon excused themselves after Dongwoo was done, telling them that Minseok would have a little talk with Junmyeon before the younger headed back to the Ministry. The others bid their goodbyes to Junmyeon, and Chanyeol gave him a sad look, making Junmyeon promise to visit him soon. Minseok brought Junmyeon to the back garden and told him what he knew about the Runners’ attack that night.

 

“You know, I can’t erase this feeling of guilt. Four of the injured guards were ones I trained, and I feel horrible because they couldn’t defend themselves," Minseok sighed, leaning against the wall.

 

"It's not your fault, hyung. They are just stronger." Junmyeon pursed his lips upon seeing Minseok rubbing his temple.

 

Minseok dropped his head, his glare directed at the floor. "Jun-ah, your boss… did he tell you about his own plan?"

 

"His plan?" Junmyeon tilted his head.

 

"Yeah. When will he come back and how? Something like that. I don't recall him saying any of that in the letter."

 

Junmyeon went blank for a few seconds. His boss had only told him about the groups’ information, their current conditions, and their plans, but he had never mentioned anything about himself aside from that one letter that contained some of his life stories. What was his plan? Did he plan to get caught or... will he truly become a Runner until the Catchers or the Ministry caught them?

 

"I—"

 

"He's on our side, right?"

 

"Hyung!" Junmyeon gasped.

 

Minseok gave an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, I just had a sudden thought.” He folded his arms, staring at Junmyeon this time.

 

"You know, that scientist mentioned about teaching someone black magic, hyung.”

 

“You mean Yixing? Yeah, he told me about it before too. Don’t you think it’s dangerous, though?”

 

Junmyeon nodded. “It is, but...don’t you think it’s worth the try? I mean, who knows, we might need a black magic user in the future. I don’t know why but Jongin actually came to my mind earlier.”

 

“Jongin?”

 

“I mean, he’s a fast learner, isn’t he?”

 

Minseok hummed in agreement. “He is, but Yixing said that the person had to have a dark past, someone who can trigger his memories and recall all the hate. I don’t think Jongin could do that, Jun-ah.”

 

“That’s true. Jongin’s never had that kind of experience before so he won’t do.” Junmyeon sighed. “It’s not like we know about the past of those people around us either—” He widened his eyes when someone’s face came to mind. "Kyungsoo."

 

"Huh?" Minseok turned to Junmyeon.

 

Junmyeon nodded. "He used to have so much hate towards his aunt, don't you remember? The old Kyungsoo who could only think of revenge against his aunt."

 

Minseok parted his lips. “Right. Kyungsoo. He did go through a lot. His parents died in an accident and on top of that, had an abusive aunt.”

 

“Don’t you think he’s the right person to do this?”

 

“He does seem like it, but the problem is…” Minseok huffed. “Will Jongin allow him to do this?”

  
  



	19. Chapter 19

Jongin glared at his brothers. He tightened his grip around Kyungsoo’s waist. "No."

 

"Jongin, I think it's my decision to say yes or—"

 

"I said no, hyung! It's freaking dangerous and I know you will have to join the Catchers and I'll be alone teaching the trainees and I don't want that!" Jongin let go of Kyungsoo, turning him so that the shorter was facing him. "What if something happens to you?"

 

"Jongin."

 

Jongin was still staring at Kyungsoo but when the man frowned at him he sighed and looked up to his brothers. "Yes?"

 

"Nothing has been decided. We don't even know if Kyungsoo will be able to learn dark magic. He has to meet Yixing first." Minseok stared at his protective brother while snacking on the cookies that Junmyeon had brought.

 

Junmyeon took a seat beside Minseok. Kyungsoo brushed his hand against Jongin's arm before sitting beside Minseok and trying the cookies.

 

"Is that a backup plan? In case the project with Sehun doesn’t work out?" Jongin sat on the small chair beside the coffee table, palm opened as he waited for Junmyeon to give him some of the cookies.

 

"If this works out, then we will put Kyungsoo in the Castle, or that's what I plan to. We actually had a weapon test today but I haven't talked to Sehun and Chanyeol since then."

 

"Seriously what is your boss planning, Jun hyung? Even if he said that the Runners will attack us, we didn’t expect it to be this fast. What is their plan? Why did they come here and do nothing?" Jongin frowned.

 

"My guess is that this is only their first try. They will come back in couple of days to do whatever they are supposed to do," Kyungsoo said.

 

Minseok nodded. "Are you up for this, Kyungsoo?" He ignored Jongin’s loud whine, staring fixedly at Kyungsoo.

 

"Okay."

 

Kyungsoo had to comfort Jongin for the next hour after he refused to talk to him. Minseok and Junmyeon ignored the two, talking about Jongdae who hadn’t come back in a week. The brothers were secretly thankful that Kyungsoo was here; they didn’t want to deal with Jongin’s horrible mood anymore.

  
  
  


***

  
  
  
  


Minseok brought Yixing to his house to meet Kyungsoo and Jongin the next day. Jongin was trying hard not to comment when Yixing asked about Kyungsoo's past. Kyungsoo got distracted by Jongin’s stares so he told Jongin to leave him alone with Yixing. Minseok pulled away his dejected brother, taking Jongin’s attention away from Kyungsoo by asking about his latest date with him. He sighed in relief when Jongin smiled and happily shared.

  
  
  
  


"I want you to know that to start this lesson—if you agree—you have recall all those bad memories. I know it will be hard, that’s why we needed to practise because you need to stay calm despite all the different emotions you may feel.” Yixing stared at Kyungsoo who nodded. Truthfully he had doubts the first time he saw Kyungsoo because he didn’t look like someone who could handle this kind of thing. The glint on his eyes had changed, though, when Yixing started to ask him about his past. Yixing could see how Kyungsoo had a hard time sharing his life story, how he kept clenching his fists in an effort to control himself.

 

"Why did you want to learn it?" Kyungsoo asked.

 

Yixing smiled, taking a deep breath. "Because I am a scientist. I had the opportunity to learn from the best, why wouldn’t I take it?"

 

Kyungsoo hummed in understanding. Yixing watched him carefully. Kyungsoo must have so many questions for him; this wasn’t an easy thing to take up.

 

"It will be hard, won’t it?" Kyungsoo looked up to Yixing who sipped his tea.

 

"There's no guarantee that you will stay the same after you learn dark magic. You have to be aware that there’s a chance you could lose yourself along the way. I lost my mind for a while and my teacher had a hard time because he had to lock me down. _He couldn't control me._ " Yixing gave a bitter smile, eyes clouding over as he recalled those terrible memories.

 

"But you survived," Kyungsoo whispered, giving him a warm smile as he patted Yixing’s hand. "You're here and you're ready to teach me."

 

"I did, I just… I'm not sure if I will be a good teacher, Kyungsoo-ssi."

 

"Just Kyungsoo is fine, hyung," Kyungsoo chuckled. "I will give you my answer tomorrow. There are many things to think aside from the danger. I need to discuss this with my supervisor first."

 

Yixing smiled uncomfortably. Kyungsoo’s smile was genuine, and he was really scared he wouldn’t see that smile again after all of this.

  
  
  
  


***

 

Kyungsoo chuckled when Jongin poured kisses on his face as he lied down on the younger's bed. His mind drifted to other thoughts however, and Jongin seemed to notice.

 

"Soo..."

 

"Yeah?"

 

Kyungsoo blinked when Jongin cupped his face. They were both lying on their sides and facing each other. Jongin rubbed Kyungsoo's cheek with his thumb and Kyungsoo hummed, closing his eyes. He loved it when Jongin did that.

 

"Will you do it?"

 

"If I can help the country, then yeah, why not?"

 

Kyungsoo opened his eyes after Jongin pressed a kiss to his lips. Jongin shook his head, bringing Kyungsoo closer to him. "I want you to be safe, hyung, especially your heart. It hurts me to know that you have to bring all the bad memories back."

 

Kyungsoo hugged Jongin and rubbed the younger's back. "Yixing hyung said that I might lose myself in the process. You will be there for me, right? If I turn back to the old me again, you will remind me that knowing the truth is enough, that you're the most important person, the only one that I need… right, Jongin?"

 

"I will, hyung."

 

"Great. Then I will go to Yixing tomorrow after I talk to our boss. Are you going to be okay, being away from me?" Kyungsoo played with Jongin's hair, his eyes getting heavy with sleep.

 

"I can handle it. You have to sleep here, though. I want to see your improvement and I want to hear your stories too." Jongin pulled away and placed another kiss on Kyungsoo's forehead. Kyungsoo smiled, feeling more relaxed and relieved that he had minutes before.

 

"Yeah, okay."

 

"Great. Let's go to sleep now."

  
  
  
  
  
  


Jongin stared at Kyungsoo's sleeping face. His jaw was clenched tightly as he looked to the windows. It was covered with the curtain but there was a small gap, letting in some light from outside.

 

He couldn't sleep. Thinking about Kyungsoo doing something so dangerous made him anxious. He felt like he was back in high school, when he had watched Kyungsoo graduate while he was still in school— he felt left behind. And on top of that, he felt useless. All of his brothers, even his best friend Sehun, were a part of the project while he only stayed in the Ministry.

 

Sure, he knew how important he was as the Catchers’ trainer but he felt like he could do more; he wanted to do something more meaningful.

 

By the end of this week, he would have to choose the best Catchers and then send them to work. He already had some in his mind and he was going to discuss it with Kyungsoo. Now it looked like he would have to this alone, since Kyungsoo wouldn’t be there.

 

Jongin huffed, dropping his head down before a movement came from beside him.

 

"Jongin?" Kyungsoo whispered. Jongin smiled when he saw his boyfriend rub his eyes sleepily.

 

Kyungsoo mumbled something, moving his body and placing his head on Jongin's lap. He hummed when Jongin brushed his hair, his other handholding Kyungsoo's hand. "Can't sleep?"

 

Jongin didn't answer, only staring back at Kyungsoo with furrowed brows.

 

"Jongin?"

 

"Yeah?"

 

"What is it? You must be thinking about something, right?" Kyungsoo tried to open his sleepy eyes but failed. He brought his hand up to pat Jongin's cheek, making Jongin smile.

 

"I feel like I'm not important," Jongin whispered.

 

Kyungsoo blinked. "What do you mean?"

 

"My job is not—how do I say it—directly involved with this problem  we are facing. I feel like all of you have this special place or something but it's only me who's not working with you guys. All of my brothers, Sehun, now you. I feel I'm being left behind, hyung."

 

Kyungsoo inhaled, running a hand up Jongin’s arm before he pinched Jongin's cheek. "I feel like kicking you right now."

 

Jongin widened his eyes. His lips parted, ready to whine about how cruel his boyfriend was but the way Kyungsoo glared at him made him shut his mouth.

 

"Why are you so stupid, Jongin?"

 

"Hyu—"

 

"Listen to me. You're not unimportant. You are important, Jongin. You're the Catchers’ trainer, just like me and many other trainers. Without us, there won't be good Catchers outside there to chase those Runners." Kyungsoo clenched his hand when Jongin turned his head, avoiding his eyes.

 

Jongin rarely showed this side of him to Kyungsoo. Jongin had always been confident in himself and was rarely concerned about something, so it was very rare to find him unable to sleep because he had something on his mind. Kyungsoo could only remember that one time when he had slept over at the Kim's residence while waiting for the news of whether or not they got accepted as trainers. Jongin hadn’t been able to sleep and they had ended up talking; eventually they were too tired and fell asleep. Another time was when Junmyeon had revealed how Jongin couldn't sleep because he had been thinking of Kyungsoo when Kyungsoo was still Jongin's tutor.

 

"I should have known that you wouldn’t be able to sleep. You were surprisingly calm when I said that I would do this," Kyungsoo sighed, sitting up and cupping Jongin's face. "Jongin-ah, we are not leaving you behind, okay? This is just temporary. Everything will go right back to normal. You don't have to feel this way."

 

Jongin sighed, peeking up at Kyungsoo. "Still doesn't feel good, hyung."

 

"What will make you feel better, hmm? Your beloved boyfriend is not enough now?" Kyungsoo pulled his hand back. He sounded upset and Jongin quickly stopped Kyungsoo from moving away from him.

 

"No, that's not what I mean, hyung." Jongin panicked a little when Kyungsoo turned away from him.

 

"I'm here, okay? I won't go anywhere. I will come back to you, every night, and you don't have to worry about being alone." Kyungsoo sighed when Jongin pulled him to his chest.

 

"I know. I'm sorry." Jongin smiled when Kyungsoo kissed his neck. "This is just temporary..."


	20. Chapter 20

Luhan ran as fast as he could to the south wing, breathing heavily when he arrived in front of his room door. Realizing Sehun might be in his work room, he headed there instead. He saw Sehun and Chanyeol from the window so he knocked thrice before opening the door.

 

Sehun turned his head, smiling when he saw Luhan coming in. He was shocked when Luhan went straight to him, cupping his cheeks and kissing Sehun in front of Chanyeol.

 

Luhan pressed a little harder for a few more seconds before pulling away. "I need you. _Now._ "

 

Sehun blinked once. "Luhan, did something happen?"

 

"No, nothing! I just miss you, Sehun-ah," Luhan shook his head.

 

"I'm still talking with Chanyeol hyung. Why don't you go and wash up? I'll join you after I finish this." Sehun spoke calmly but Luhan saw _that_ look. Sehun didn't like to be interrupted when he was working and Luhan knew that.

 

Luhan gulped, eyes darting over to Chanyeol. "Fine. I'm sorry for interrupting, Chanyeol-ssi." He bowed to Chanyeol before leaving the room.

 

Noticing how tense Sehun was, Chanyeol quietly spoke up. "Let's continue tomorrow."

 

"Yeah. I'm sorry, hyung." Sehun stood up, moving to organize their notes and sketches.  

 

"No, it's okay. Luhan needs you more,” Chanyeol said, taking over. Sehun paused, watching him for a bit before sighing.

 

"Can I ask you something?"

 

Chanyeol nodded, helping Sehun with the papers.

 

"What's your relationship with Prince Baekhyun?"

 

"Tutor and tutee?" Chanyeol laughed.

 

"No, what I mean is, do you like him?"

 

"I have to like him because it's my job—" Chanyeol jumped when Sehun suddenly slammed his hand on the table.

 

"Chanyeol hyung. You know _exactly_ what I mean."

 

Chanyeol pressed his lips together He folded his arms, leaning back into his chair, and smiled a little. "Why are you asking me this?"

 

"I'm just wondering if your highness can see the way Prince Baekhyun stares at you."

 

"What about his stare? Maybe you imagined it, Sehun-ah," Chanyeol laughed.

 

"He stares at you the same way you stare at him, hyung. Why are you denying this?"

 

Chanyeol stopped laughing and glared at Sehun. The scientist had a dark look in his eyes; it was the first time Sehun had seen it and it scared him for a moment.

 

"Sehun-ah, you do know how complicated our case is, right? He's a prince, for God's sake. Even if I wanted to change things between us—or maybe he wants to—we just can't. I'm content with what we have now and—ugh, seriously, what’s with the sudden interest in this..." Chanyeol groaned, throwing his head back.

 

Sehun continued to clean up the papers before he put them aside. "I'm very sorry. It just came to me, and I'm stalling for time before having to deal with Luhan."

 

"But he needs you. I'm sure you should be there right now instead of talking to me, Sehun-ah."

 

"I know that but I don't like it when he does that, hyung. I prefer for him to talk about his problems after he comes back instead of doing other things first, like sex. He always asks for it because he’d rather push aside his problems than talk with me about them."

 

Chanyeol suddenly blushed, awkwardly scratching his neck. "It seems like you're the type who's open about this kind of thing, huh? Even to someone you're not close with?"

 

"What thing?"

 

"You know..." Chanyeol moved his hand awkwardly.

 

Sehun didn't know why Chanyeol blushed but then he smirked. "No, I don't. What do you mean, hyung?"

 

"Why are you making me say—" Chanyeol saw the glint on the younger's eyes and he narrowed his own. "You're lying. You know _exactly_ what I meant."

 

Sehun chuckled as Chanyeol left the room, mumbling about how annoying Sehun was. Sehun followed him to the door. "Thanks for today, hyung."

 

"You too. I'm happy with the progress we made." Chanyeol hugged Sehun with one arm and ruffled the younger's hair. "Go and take care of Luhan now. Not everyone can directly deal with their problems, you know?"

 

"I know..." Sehun sighed.

  
  
  
  
  
  


Sehun smiled widely when he found Luhan eating on the couch. Luhan had just taken a bath and his hair was still wet. He smiled when Sehun came up behind him to dry his hair.

 

"How's your day?"

 

"Let's talk about it later, Sehun-ah." Luhan took his last bite and drank some water before pouting cutely at Sehun. "Please?"

 

"I'm kind of tired, actually..." Sehun moved to put away the towel, sighing when he saw that Luhan had followed him.

 

"I'll do the work."

 

"Hyung, I—"

 

"Sehun, nothing happened. I'm not lying. I just really missed you. You've been working so hard and we hadn't had any sex since we arrived. With how often we do it when we're back at home, I just couldn’t believe it."

 

Luhan wrapped his arms around Sehun’s body, staring up with his doe eyes. He tried not to smile when he saw Sehun’s gaze drop down to his pouting lips.

 

"Don't you miss me?"

 

"I do. I'm just... I have too much on my mind so I’m not in the mood." Sehun leaned in, pressing their foreheads together.

 

"Then do it now, Sehun-ah," Luhan whispered, kissing Sehun on the lips as he closed his eyes.

 

Sehun let Luhan drag him  to the bed, the older chuckling softly as he opened Sehun's shirt, hands pressing to his chest with a fond look in his eyes.

 

"I'm sorry," Sehun whispered, bringing Luhan to his chest, peppering kisses on Luhan's neck.

 

Luhan just smiled, letting Sehun undress him and push him slowly against the bed. The fire was back in his eyes.

  
  
  


***

  
  
  


Chanyeol watched as Sehun tested the weapon himself. He had never seen Sehun use his magic aside from cleaning the room or using some spells while making weapons. Sehun looked impressive as he shot at the target, performing spells Chanyeol had never seen before.

 

As Chanyeol took notes, he noticed how happy Sehun looked; the younger had been smiling a lot since early that morning.

 

"You're awfully happy today, Sehun-ah. You kind have this glow about you," Chanyeol commented as they exchanged the notes and weapon.

 

"This glow is from last night, you know what I mean?" Sehun smirked as he stared down at the notes. Hearing no reply, he lifted his head to see Chanyeol’s confused face.

 

"Seriously, hyung?"

 

"Yeah, sorry. I don't know what you’re talking about."

 

Sehun rolled his eyes. "Sex."

 

He blushed instantly and Chanyeol cleared his throat, eyes moving to the weapon in his hand as he pretended to check it.

 

"I feel like you are uncomfortable when I start talking about this topic," Sehun hummed, tapping a pen against the table.

 

"Well...I just—I don't know. It's just weird for me, you know? I didn’t have many friends before and I’m not used to talking about this kind of stuff."

 

"We should practice then."

 

"What?"

 

"To make you get used to it. It's not like you're vir—oh God, don't tell me you are!" Sehun gasped, leaning in. Chanyeol took a step back.

 

"Sehun. _Please._ I told you about how much time I spend in my room, creating new things. I don't meet many people so I don't have the time or someone to experience that...stuff... _God dammit, Sehun!_ Why are you doing this!" Chanyeol waved his hand, creating a wind that startled Sehun, before walked away and started testing the weapon.

 

Sehun kept smiling as he started taking notes.

 

Chanyeol glanced at Sehun and smiled secretly when he saw that Sehun was already focused on his job. His mind started to wander to the very special Prince that had been filling his head and heart for a long time.

  
  
  
  
  


It wasn’t easy, it wouldn’t be easy; it was impossible.

 

Of course Chanyeol had thought about it before, what he could do to be closer to Baekhyun, someone who had irritated him at first but he later fell in love with. Baekhyun might give him hard time, but Chanyeol knew why. Baekhyun needed attention; he needed someone who could understand him, who catered to his needs, and could still guide him in the right direction. And that was a tutor.

 

Chanyeol had heard a story from some of the guards before, how Baekhyun had changed before Chanyeol had become his tutor. They had said that Baekhyun had fallen for his brother’s tutor.

 

It had hurt Chanyeol when he’d heard that. He thought he was only a replacement, that when he left Baekhyun would like anyone who came and became his tutor but Baekhyun never once let Chanyeol go. When the Prince was in a bad mood, Baekhyun had never once said that he wanted Chanyeol to leave the Castle. Chanyeol had often wondered what it would be like when he stopped being Baekhyun’s tutor and thought of him as more than his student.

 

Chanyeol could see that they shared mutual feelings. He just didn’t know if it would work between them if he took that dangerous step forward.

  
  
  
  
  
  


 

“Chanyeol?”

 

“Yes?”

 

“You’re awfully quiet today.”

 

“I’m tired.”

 

“Are you okay? Want to take a rest?” Baekhyun shifted closer to Chanyeol, pressing his hand to his tutor’s forehead.

 

“Can I?”

 

“Yeah, why not?”

 

Chanyeol smiled. “I still have to tutor you.”

 

“You can take a day off, you never ask for it anyways…” Baekhyun shrugged. “Go and get some sleep. I will go back to my room.”

 

Chanyeol caught Baekhyun’s hand, shaking his head. “Can you stay until I fall asleep, My Prince?”

 

Baekhyun blinked. “What do you mean?”

 

Chanyeol’s smile turned into a grin as he stood up, pulling Baekhyun into his bedroom. He dropped on to his bed, hand still clutching Baekhyun. The Prince stood uncertainly by the bed.

 

“Sit.” Chanyeol patted the spot beside him, tugging Baekhyun lightly.

 

“It feels weird…” Baekhyun frowned when his voice came out in a whisper. “I feel like I shouldn’t be here, Chanyeol.”

 

Chanyeol chuckled, letting go of Baekhyun’s hand as he closed his eyes. “Don’t think about it too much, My Prince. Just wait until I fall asleep and then you can go.”

 

Baekhyun didn’t reply, sighing before glancing around the room.

 

“My Prince, I—” Chanyeol opened his eyes to see Baekhyun holding a picture. “What are you looking at…” he frowned, trying to look over his shoulder.

 

“How old are you here?” Baekhyun grinned, holding up a picture of Chanyeol with his sister and his mother.

 

“Thirteen, I guess?”

 

“You’re cute,” Baekhyun commented, putting the picture back. He scanned for the other frames and Chanyeol noticed how his eyes softened.

 

“My Prince?”

 

“Hmm?”

 

“Have you wondered what would happen if I wasn’t here anymore?” Seeing Baekhyun turn to him shock, Chanyeol instantly regretted asking.

 

“What do you mean, are you going somewhere?”

 

“Not now, but eventually. I’m not going to stay here forever, am I?”

 

“I can make you stay here forever.”

 

“My Prince, we both know that in about two or three years you will finish your studies and you won’t need me anymore.”

 

Baekhyun raised an eyebrow, his hand clenched into a fist. “I told you I need you as more than just my tutor.”

 

“You can’t let me stay, My Prince. Tutoring is the only way—”

 

“No,” Baekhyun cut him off. “No, you can stay here forever. I’m the Prince here and I can make everything happen. I can make you stay here as long as I want, Park Chanyeol.”

 

“But My Prince—”

 

“Stop it.” Baekhyun looked hurt as he stood up, gulping hard as his eyes glistened. “Don’t think of when you will be out of here. Focus on me. Focus on teaching me and being my tutor, Park Chanyeol. I can’t believe you’re thinking of this when I’m—” He bit his lips. “I’ll go back to my room,” he whispered before dashing out.

 

Chanyeol dropped his head back against the pillow and stared up at the ceiling. “I can’t do that...I want to become more than just a tutor, My Prince…”

 

 


	21. Chapter 21

"Minnie, are you still angry at me?"

 

"Yeah."

 

"Come on, I'm sorry. You know how I move around in my sleep, I didn't mean to hurt you like that," Dongwoo pouted.

 

Since Yixing was currently staying in Minseok’s room, he had been sleeping with Dongwoo. He refused to get a new room, and this morning Dongwoo had accidentally kicked and pushed Minseok until he had fallen to the floor. Minseok had smacked Dongwoo with pillows as a revenge, waking up a clueless Dongwoo.

 

"Yeah."

 

"Oh come on. It's just one time, okay? You've been fine the nights before, Minnie!"

 

"Yeah."

 

Dongwoo frowned at Minseok's answers. His best friend was reading a newspaper; he still hadn’t touched the breakfast Dongwoo had brought him.

 

"Kim Minseok."

 

Minseok folded back the newspaper and put it aside. Staring into Dongwoo's eyes, he smiled. "What is it, Jang Dongwoo?"

 

"I said I'm sorry." Dongwoo pursed his lips.

 

"Yeah, I heard you."

 

Dongwoo reached for Minseok's hand with both of his hands and squeezed it. "Minnie, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt your body or your feelings. Will you please forgive me?"

 

"Uh..."

 

Minseok and Dongwoo turned to see Yixing staring at them with a tray in his hands. Yixing’s eyes were set on their hands.

 

"Should I come back later?" Yixing tilted his head.

 

"No, it's okay. You can sit here, Yixing," Dongwoo smiled, patting the spot beside him.

 

Yixing looked to Minseok, who nodded at him.

 

"Minseok here is currently angry so I hope you don't do anything to make it worse," Dongwoo whispered loudly. Minseok rolled his eyes and let go of Dongwoo’s hands.

 

"What happened?"

 

"I kicked him and made him fall off the bed. I kind of hurt his body a bit..." Dongwoo sighed, eating his food with a deep frown.

 

"Are you okay, Minseok-ssi?" Yixing asked worriedly, eyes moving up and down Minseok’s body.

 

"I'm fine. Thank you for asking," Minseok smiled. He finally touched his food and Dongwoo grinned happily. Minseok never missed breakfast.

 

"Oh by the way, it was nice meeting your brother, Minseok-ssi. Junmyeon is such a nice person, just like you. I saw the photo in your room, of you and Junmyeon with two other men," Yixing suddenly remembered.

 

"That’s Minnie’s brothers. He’s the eldest of four. There is Jongdae, who is a Catcher, while the youngest, Jongin, works in the Ministry as the Catchers' trainer," Dongwoo answered for Minseok who could only sigh.

 

"Whoa... all of you must be great magicians to have wonderful jobs like that." Yixing shook his head in awe.

 

Minseok whispered a thank you. It felt strange receiving a compliment from Yixing; for some reason, he was happier than when he received compliments from other people.

 

"How about you, Yixing, do you have any siblings?" Dongwoo asked.

 

"Ah, no. I lived with my grandmother before but she died two years ago. I'm on my own now."

 

Dongwoo gasped, putting down his fork and turning to hold Yixing’s hand. "I'm really sorry."

 

Yixing was a little surprised by Dongwoo but chuckled. "It's okay. I know this might sound weird but I like being alone. I don't have to constantly worry about someone anymore. I can freely go wherever I want to and enjoy what I love."

 

Minseok could see a glint of sadness in Yixing’s eyes.

 

“But still, even if you act like it’s nothing, I can’t help but feel sorry for you,” Dongwoo pouted.

 

“I’m really fine, Dongwoo. It’s not like it’s your fault.” Yixing patted Dongwoo’s shoulder as the younger let go of his hand. He glanced up to see Minseok frowning.

  
  
  
  
  
  


Minseok had just finished his training and considered going back home instead of sleeping in Dongwoo’s room tonight. He didn’t want to be kicked off the bed again, even if it would only be the second time. Dongwoo didn’t actually have bad sleeping habits, but he had been mumbling in his sleep for the past few nights. Minseok guessed that he was probably having nightmares.

 

He had planned to go back to his home when he realized that he had gone all the way back to his own room. Minseok knocked on the door and waited for Yixing to open it.

 

"Oh, hello."

 

Minseok smiled at Yixing who had the same smile on his lips. "Can I come inside?"

 

Yixing laughed as he nodded, taking a step back for Minseok to come in. "Of course! This is your room, Minseok-ssi."

 

Minseok stepped inside the room and noticed the slight change in his room. The smell was different. It smelled like Yixing, and Minseok suddenly felt his stomach clench. Clearing his throat, Minseok glanced around the room to see an open book on the bed.

 

Yixing followed Minseok's gaze as he closed the door. "I was going through your collection of books. I hope you don't mind?"

 

"No, it's okay. They’re not mine, actually. They belong to my brother, Jongdae. He loves reading so much and I sometimes ask him for a recommendation to read when I'm feeling bored." Minseok sat at the study table while Yixing sat on the bed.

 

"This is the second book I’ve read so far and I’m enjoying it." Yixing bookmarked a page before setting it aside, "May I know why you're here?"

 

Minseok parted his lips, an excuse about taking some clothes or needing something in his room on the tip of his tongue. Instead, nothing came out.

 

"I...I don't know."

 

"You don't know?"

 

"My feet just brought me here, maybe because of habit?" Minseok let out a nervous laugh.

 

"But you remembered that I was here, right?"

 

"Yes, I did. I just—"

 

Minseok bit his lips, staring down at his lap. "Your face kind of bothered me somehow..."

 

Yixing  blinked. "My face?"

 

"Yeah. At breakfast, when you told Dongwoo and I that you have no family? Aren’t you...aren’t you lonely?”  

 

"Well, there are times when I do feel lonely. And sometimes I got out to meet friends when I’m bored, but I do prefer to go out by myself. Aside from knowing magic from different countries, I like meeting new people and getting to know them and their cultures."

 

"That sounds great. I don’t know if I could do that. I have many brothers and I'm used to being surrounded by people. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t have them to support me" Minseok chuckled.

 

"Minseok-ssi, do you not feel like going home? Even if you are used to having people around you, it doesn’t mean that you always want to be with them, you know?" Yixing said. "You look kind of tired lately, have you been sleeping well? Is something bothering you?"

 

"I talked with Junmyeon but I just can’t stop thinking. The Runners’ attack makes me restless. I keep thinking about the injured guards. I feel like it’s my fault. I could have taught them to be better so they wouldn’t have been hurt like that…” Minseok sighed as he rubbed his temples. He was starting to get a headache again.

 

"It's normal for them to get hurt. It’s their job to protect the people and you can’t control what happens. Do you want to get injured instead of them? You should focus on your job instead of worrying about what has already happened, Minseok-ssi." Yixing bit his lips when the frown on Minseok’s face only deepened.

 

"I'm so used to thinking of others. Having three younger brothers trains you to be like that. Our jobs are related to each other too so it's not like I can avoid talking about work when I’m at home. At first I thought that it was fine, but I didn’t think it would become such a problem for me." Minseok smiled bitterly.

 

Seeing Minseok sigh again, Yixing frowned. Standing up, he went to the closet for coat while gesturing at Minseok. "Let's go out."

 

"What?"

 

"How about going to the town? I haven't had time to explore it since I came here and I think it might help get your mind off of work." Yixing tugged Minseok up and out of the room.

 

Minseok wanted to say no, that he was tired and that he hated the town, but the excited look on Yixing’s face made him change his mind.

 

Maybe going to the town wouldn’t be so bad this time.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


The trip to town was great. Minseok and Yixing went to the night market, eating delicious food and checking out some stores. Minseok always teased Junmyeon for working too much and not having enough fun, but it seemed like he had done exactly that. It appeared that Minseok and his siblings liked to work a lot,  forgetting to have fun and enjoy their lives every once in a while.

 

It didn’t hurt that Yixing was great to hang out with. He didn’t make many jokes, but his innocent comments and his ability to ask weird questions kept Minseok laughing all night. Minseok could feel his cheeks sting in pain from all the smiling and laughing he had done.

 

“It’s really good to see you like this.”

 

“I’m sorry?”

 

Yixing shrugged. “I’ve never seen you smile this brightly, you know? You look so serious all the time, like you’re scared that someone will hurt you if you drop your guard or something.”

 

“True… It’s been awhile since I’ve had fun. I should thank you for dragging me here. I don’t really like town…” Minseok gulped, looking up at Yixing with a forced smile.

 

“Why?”

 

“I once got robbed when I was young. I just couldn’t believe that an adult would do something like that to a small kid. Even years later, after I grew up, I still didn’t feel like I could defeat them. I was reluctant to help you the first time we met but Dongwoo insisted.”

 

“Do you regret helping me?”

 

“No, not at all. I’m glad I helped you. I got to meet a wonderful black magic user.” Minseok leaned a little and whispered so no one could hear him.

 

“I’m glad you saved me too. I can go to the Castle and I’ve met so many people. I don’t really want to use my black magic but I can’t help it. It’s like we were meant to meet each other.”

 

Minseok grinned, shaking his head lightly. “You’re saying it like it’s _that_ special, Yixing.”

 

Yixing lifted his eyebrows. “It is special. I’ve met you and many other people. I love meeting new people, especially making new friends.”

 

“Are we friends now?”

 

Yixing showed his dimple smile as he dropped his arm around Minseok’s shoulder. “We are.”

 

Minseok ignored the warm feeling in his stomach. He didn’t feel bothered by Yixing’s arm on his shoulder, as he had with Dongwoo. Trying to understand this feeling, he only hummed in reply.

 

“Going out at night is a lot better. Let’s go again when you have time, Minseok.”

 

“I’m not sure…” Minseok said, turning his head to Yixing.

 

“Why? I’ll protect you from any robber or bad guys this time. I’m the one asking you to go with me so you don’t have to do anything except show me where to go.” Yixing squeezed Minseok’s shoulder, blinking when he saw how Minseok flinched.

 

“O-okay, then,” Minseok said as he turned away.

 

Seeing how Minseok’s cheeks flushed, Yixing chuckled. Minseok quickly glanced at him.

 

“What is it?”

 

“Nothing.”

 

 


	22. Chapter 22

Checking the wound on his back in the mirror, Kris sighed in relief. There was only a small scar on his back, evidence of Taecyeon’s healing. The older man always said that he leaves a mark on purpose but everyone knew that he wasn’t a good healer, but he was the best they had so no one complained about it.

 

Hearing a knock at the door, Kris told the person to come in.

 

Changhyun peeked inside the room, smiling when he saw Kris standing in front of the mirror. "Hyung, breakfast is ready."

 

"Thanks, I’ll be there in a minute," Kris smiled, putting his shirt back on. He walked over to where Changhyun waited for him by the door. "Is something wrong?"

 

"Hmm?"

 

"Why are you staring at me like that?" Kris chuckled, ruffling the younger's hair as he pushed him gently out of the room and closed the door.

 

"How's your wound?"

 

"Perfectly healed."

 

Changhyun grinned. "Great! We were all so worried about you. We all got some rest while you were recovering, but we’re nervous about tomorrow."

 

"What about tomorrow?"

 

"Yun hyung said that we’re going back to the Castle tomorrow. Hasn't he told you?"

 

Kris shook his head. "Nope, maybe later we’ll have a long talk. Come on, let's wake up the others and eat."

 

Changhyun nodded, walking into JB's room with Kris. He didn't see how Kris tightened his jaw and knitted his brows.

 

It was rare for Kris not to know about their plan. Maybe Yunho didn't tell him about it because he was injured and had to rest for a couple of days.

  
  
  
  
  


After breakfast, all the members along with Taecyeon and Sooyoung had a meeting. Yunho went into detail explaining his plan as he didn’t want any mistakes this time. Kris listened carefully, and before night came, he decided his next step. He had to think quickly, especially after the revelation that the King’s brother was behind all of this. He had never expected this from the King’s brother, and he was sure no one else knew about it.

  
  


The current King was the youngest son while the first son was the one who wanted revenge. The previous King had seen that the first son didn’t have compassion, so he had wisely passed on the crown to his youngest. Those who worked in the Ministry could see the thirst the eldest son had for power while the youngest son only thought about the benefit of the country and its people.

 

All this time, Kris had believed that the Runners had been objecting to the King’s rules. He had never expected that the one controlling him was someone so close to the King. He had to give this information to Junmyeon, or anyone that could be trusted in the Castle.

 

Kris would have no choice but to be captured in order to relay the message.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Kris was talking to JB and Changhyun when Tao came down the stairs and sat beside him. They had talking about how wonderful the Castle had been, how it would have great if they could’ve stayed longer and explored it.

 

"Hyung, are you really fine?" Tao whispered. Changhyun and JB stopped talking to listen.

 

"I'm fine. I'm ready to go tomorrow."

 

"I know I've said this more than ten times, but I'm really sorry."

 

"Tao, it’s not your fault. We know better this time so I'm perfectly sure there won't be any mistakes. We memorized the plan already so we should relax. We’ve got each other's back, don’t we?" Kris turned to JB and Changhyun who nodded in agreement.

 

"Yeah, hyung. We will make sure that the area is clear this time and no one will be there to stop you." Changhyun lifted his fist into the air. "We can do this!"

 

"Just focus on your part, Tao. Your improvement is great and we are all proud of you," JB grinned, giving two thumbs up to Tao.

 

"Thank you. I will be extra careful this time," Tao sniffed, touched at his friends’ encouragement.

 

Kris laughed when Changhyun threw himself to Tao and hugged him. JB rolled his eyes but laughed along when Tao whined, telling Changhyun to get off of him.

 

Kris ignored the sudden pain in his chest. It would be the last time they would laugh like this. He won’t see their smiles once they find out who he truly is.

  
  
  


***

  
  
  


Six Runners were going to attack the Castle today. Some members were going to act as distractions while the others would search for and kidnap the youngest Prince. Searching for the Prince would be a hard task as they had no idea what he looked like. They knew where his room was, but there was the chance he wouldn’t be there at all. No one had ever seen the youngest before, and the description Yunho had given them was less than helpful.

 

JB successfully broke the barrier again and took down the guards with Changhyun. Unlike before, Seungwan and Sunyoung followed them to make sure they wouldn’t get caught or hurt. Tao and Kris slipped inside the Castle to find the Prince through the nearest door.

 

While running through the corridors, Kris stopped to see that the guards were stationed in the back garden. Not wanting to cause a scene, he silently cast a sleeping spell on them.

 

Kris and Tao had already memorized the Castle’s layout, but it felt like a maze as they encountered turn after turn.

 

Kris inhaled nervously when he knew they were close. Just another turn and—

 

Kris was abruptly stopped by Tao's hand. There were sounds, and when they carefully peeked down the hall, they saw two people standing outside the Prince’s bedroom.

 

"Tomorrow, okay?" the smaller man asked, tilting his head. He was wearing a silk robe, arms folded and hair messy.

 

The other man was a head taller, dressed in black. "I can't promise you that, My Prince."

 

Tao turned to Kris. They had just found the Prince.

 

Kris lifted his hand, ready to put both men to sleep. As he was about to cast the spell, he remembered that this was his chance. His chance to be caught.

 

Kris cast a sleeping spell in the Prince’s direction. The tall man gasped in shock, catching the Prince in his arms. Kris caught the tall man’s face: a pair of big eyes, a high nose, and a pair of plump lips. He counted to three before stepping out of his hiding place. He was about to cast another spell when the man raised his hand, shouting a spell himself. Both Kris and Tao were thrown to the wall behind them, hard.

 

Kris grunted as he fell to the ground, trying to breathe after the hard impact. He could barely move his body, and when he tried to open his eyes, he saw that Tao lying unconscious across from him. It was the last thing he saw before Kris felt his consciousness slipping away from him.

 

_I'm sorry, Tao._

  
  
  


***

  
  
  


Kris jerked awake when he felt something shock him. Looking around, he could only see darkness.

 

"What's your name?" a voice said.

 

Kris tried to remember what happened to him. He recalled that he had almost captured the Prince but there had been someone else with him. The man had cast his own spell at them, anger in his eyes.

 

"Did you hear me? Are you not going to answer me?"

 

"My name is Kris. I can't see who you are but I need you to bring Kim Junmyeon to me."

 

Kris tried to see in the dark but it was futile. He could feel a presence beside him.

 

"Why?"

 

"I am an undercover Runner and I need him here to prove it to you."

 

"An undercover?" the man chuckled. "Don't you have any better lies?"

 

"I'm not ly—" Kris choked when something tightened around his neck. His back arched as he jerked in his chair.

 

"If that’s true then let me ask you one more time. _What's your name?"_

 

"W-wu Yifan."

 

Kris coughed when his neck was finally freed. He breathed deeply, eyes prickling with tears as he took in much-needed air.

 

"Let me call him for you, Wu Yifan."

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Kris didn't know if he had waited for minutes or hour; he couldn't tell the difference. He could only pray that Junmyeon would eventually come. Only he could prove his true identity.

 

A blast of light entered his eyes and Kris groaned, trying to adjust his eyes to the sudden brightness. He was in a white room, empty except for the door and the chair he was bound to.

 

"Wu Yifan?"

 

Two men were standing in front of Kris. The one who called his name was a pale man, with a flawless complexion and blond hair. The other man was wearing a royal guard uniform and his face was stiff. Kris guessed that this person was the one who had questioned him before.

 

"I am Wu Yifan. Are you...Kim Junmyeon?" Kris narrowed his eyes. The man looked anxious, what with the way he was biting his lips and frowning at Kris.

 

Junmyeon gave him a hesitant smile. "It's nice to finally meet you, _Boss._ "

 

They let go of Kris and brought him to another room. It turned out that he was still in the Castle. They brought him food and let him change before he was left alone with Junmyeon.

 

"How many of us did you catch?" Kris asked.

 

"Three. You, one guy with a bow and one girl with a gun."

 

Kris inhaled, nodding as he drank the water. He needed to put aside his guilt and focus on the most important thing first.

 

"Our mission today was to kidnap the Prince. I purposely made mistakes so that you could catch us. I'm not sure if the kids did their job well, but there is something more important you need to know. I just found out that the one behind all of this is the King's older brother. You need to tell Your Highness as soon as possible. I wasn’t informed of what the Runners are up to next, but I do know that my boss is ready for another attack. We still have two more members who didn’t come with us and I have no idea what they're doing right now."

 

Junmyeon quickly took down all the information before excusing himself to inform the King of his message.

 

Kris let out a sigh when he was alone. Going to the bathroom, he looked at his reflection. He didn't look bad. There was only a scratch on his arm and it were small. He didn't feel any pain on his back either. He had expected to be in great pain after the tall man had thrown him against the wall. Had they healed him while he was unconscious?

 

Kris didn't have any appetite so he only drank some water and took couple of bites of food before heading to bed. He needed to stop worrying about his ex-teammates.

  
  
  
  
  


When Kris woke up, Junmyeon was already back, sitting in a chair with a book in his lap. Junmyeon looked up when Kris sat up, nodding to him.

 

"I'm sorry that I fell asleep."

 

Junmyeon shook his head. "It's fine. Are you feeling better?"

 

"For now, yes. I can’t stop thinking of those Runners that you caught… where are they? Are they safe?"

 

"They are safe. They are currently under our watch just in case. But they're all unconscious."

 

"Great to hear that." Kris tried to smile but it turned into a grimace that worried Junmyeon.

 

"Boss, are you really okay? Do you still have any wounds? Do you want me to bring a healer—"

 

"I'm fine," Kris exhaled. "I'm sorry, I don't know why I feel guilty. I think I got too close to them and I can't stop worrying about those kids."

 

Junmyeon parted his lips. He couldn’t understand how Kris felt, couldn’t know what Kris had been through during his time as a Runner.

 

"You did the right thing. I know they're not bad people, I know they have good side, but it's your job to protect the country. You're just doing your job, but there’s a time when you have to sacrifice your friends."

 

Kris glanced at him. "It must feel weird, huh, that your boss is pitying the enemies?"

 

"It's not. I think it's normal to get attached to people and feel that way."

 

Kris pursed his lips when he saw Junmyeon's smile. He never imagined Junmyeon to look the way he did; he appeared far too delicate and vulnerable for someone who worked in the Ministry. But, Kris could also see a glimmer of authority and responsibility in his eyes. He knew the famous Kim wouldn't disappoint him.

  
  



	23. Chapter 23

Sehun's working room was a mess when Minseok came inside. The desk was cluttered with papers, more papers all over the floor. Chanyeol sat by the desk, reading some notes with a deep frown.

 

"Sehun?"

 

"Uh, Luhan borrowed him for a bit." Chanyeol looked up at Minseok, who glanced nervously around the place. Sehun’s working room was never this messy; it was always so clean whenever he visited.

 

"Borrowed?" Minseok lifted an eyebrow when a pink tint spread across Chanyeol's cheeks.

 

"Yeah, borrowed. You know for, uh, re-release?"

 

"What are you talking about?" Minseok sighed, starting to gather the papers on the floor as he made his way to the desk.

 

"Just ask him when he comes back, hyung!"

 

Minseok blinked when Chanyeol’s voice cracked. The scientist looked embarrassed as he ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

 

"You okay?"

 

"I won’t if you keep asking me what Sehun and Luhan are doing right now!"

 

"We had sex."

 

Minseok turned to see Sehun by the door. Sehun snapped his fingers, using his magic to clean up the room as he tidied his bed hair with the other hand. Minseok caught a red spot on Sehun's neck and whistled. "Nice. What's with him, though?" He pointed to Chanyeol with his thumb.

 

"Ah, this virgin hyung can't say sex without turning into a crab," Sehun shrugged, taking a seat across from Chanyeol who was glaring at him, cheeks still pink.

 

Minseok laughed, grinning at Chanyeol who just glared back at him. "Alright, I'm sorry. Let's talk about work now. You must have heard that Junmyeon's boss is back and he told us who's behind Runners. Kris said he didn't know what their next move is but he told us to be prepared. The King has ordered some Catchers to find his brother and has placed the remaining Catchers in the Castle. We need the weapon now in order to defeat them. Kyungsoo is doing his best to learn the advanced black magic spells to help us. So, how many hours until you can finish two, maybe three, weapons?"

 

"We finished one." Sehun leaned back in his chair, handing Minseok a piece of paper.

 

Minseok saw the name on the corner of the paper and nodded. "I know you made it based on this person’s skills and powers, but can another person use it?"

 

"If they use the same stone, then yes."

 

"What's Kyungsoo's stone?"

 

"What?"

 

Minseok stared at Sehun, waiting for him to catch on.

 

"Hyung, you—"

 

"Yes. I know he's a trainer but I can promote him to be a temporary Catcher. We need him for his black magic."

 

"Will Jongin allow him?"

 

"He knew the consequences before Kyungsoo took the offer. At this point, he can’t say anything even if he wants to," Minseok sighed.

 

Sehun pursed his lips while Minseok fiddled with the paper in his hand.

 

Chanyeol cleared his throat. "Uh, who are Kyungsoo and Jongin?"

 

Minseok chuckled. "Jongin’s my brother and Kyungsoo is his boyfriend. You'll meet them in no time. Jongin is also Sehun's best friend."

 

"Oh, great! I would love to meet new friends!"

  
  
  
  
  


***

  
  
  
  


Kyungsoo only had black magic on his mind. He had started to distance himself from Jongin because whenever he met Jongin, he was overwhelmed by his love instead of the bad memories he needed. Yixing and Minseok had visited him a few times already, and Kyungsoo had admitted that the training drained all of his energy. It was like there were two voices inside of him— one that told him to stop and another that pushed him to learn more.

 

Yixing said that was normal. If Kyungsoo kept practicing, the good voice would eventually leave and only the bad voice would remain

  
  
  
  
  


On Saturday, Minseok came to get Kyungsoo. They needed to fit Sehun’s weapon on him.

 

"Are you sure, hyung? I mean, it was designed specially for the Catcher, not me." Kyungsoo followed Minseok to the Test Room, anxious and afraid about testing the weapon. He didn’t have good control of his powers yet, but Minseok assured him that Yixing would be there in case something happened.

 

"I'm sure whoever the Catcher is won't mind. We told them from the beginning that there was a possibility the weapon wouldn’t be finished on time. You have black magic so you’re an exception."

 

Kyungsoo pursed his lips at Minseok's smile. On their way, he saw many royal guards greet Minseok. Some trainees even stopped to talk with him for a bit. Kyungsoo tried not to be intimidated by their big builds; they were all so tall and handsome. But he could also see something soft in their eyes whenever they spoke with Minseok.

 

"Have any of them confessed to you?" Kyungsoo asked when it was only him and Minseok.

 

"What?"

 

"The royal guards in training. Have any of them confessed they like you?"

 

"No. What makes you think that they like me as a man?" Minseok chuckled.

 

"It's just, some of them were staring too intently at me, like they were trying to figure out if I was special to you or something..." Kyungsoo trailed off.

 

"Nah, you're imagining it," Minseok waved him off. He opened the door to the Test Room where Yixing, Chanyeol, and Sehun waited for them. Kyungsoo was about to greet them when someone hugged him from behind, arms wrapping tightly around his waist.

 

"Soo-yah, I missed you."

 

Kyungsoo grinned when heard Luhan's voice in his ear. He turned around to hug his best friend.

 

"Hey, hyung. What are you doing here?"

 

"Following my beloved Sehun, of course."

 

Kyungsoo just smiled, letting go of the older man who dragged him to Sehun and Chanyeol while Minseok went to Yixing and talked about the preparations for Kyungsoo.

 

"Hello, hyung. Let me introduce you to Chanyeol. He’s a scientist who’s also the Prince’s tutor." Sehun motioned to Chanyeol, who grinned widely and bowed at Kyungsoo.

 

"Nice to met you. I heard a lot about you."

 

Kyungsoo raised an eyebrow as he turned to Sehun. "About me? Sehun, what did you tell him?"

 

Sehun folded his arms and narrowed his eyes at the accusation. "Nothing, hyung. I didn't say anything."

 

"Lu..." Kyungsoo snapped his head to Luhan.

 

"I just told him that you’re Yixing’s first student who’s very cute and Jongin’s boyfriend."

 

"Oh."

 

Luhan rolled his eyes. "I can't believe that you agreed to do this. How have you been doing? Is Jongin okay?"

 

"I think Jongin's mad at me. I told him that I was going to the Castle today and he said that he had work to do. I know he could make time to come with me, but I don’t know. Maybe it’s best to leave him alone for now," Kyungsoo shrugged.

 

"Lu hyung, we need to finish this first." Sehun pulled Luhan away from Kyungsoo, signaling Chanyeol to give Kyungsoo the weapon.

 

Kyungsoo stared at the gun for a second, wondering if it was alright to touch it before any barriers were put up.

 

"It's okay. We will guide you, and Yixing hyung will be beside you." Chanyeol's grin briefly calmed Kyungsoo.

 

"Okay. Yixing hyung, can you come here please?" Kyungsoo called.

 

Yixing came to Kyungsoo's side, his hand up to build a barrier while Sehun, Chanyeol, and Luhan took a few steps back.

 

"Kyungsoo, look at me." Yixing took Kyungsoo's free hand and held it. He glanced at the gun before shifting his eyes back to Kyungsoo.

 

"Focus on your feelings."

 

Kyungsoo closed his eyes. Recalling his bad memories, he focused on his anger, on the terrible and evil thoughts that had once consumed him. When he opened his eyes, he could feel the dark magic fill him.

 

"Great. Now face the wall. Okay. Good. Let's start, okay?"

 

Yixing turned Kyungsoo towards the wall, both of his hands remaining on Kyungsoo's shoulder.

 

"I can do anything, right?" Kyungsoo asked.

 

"Yeah."

 

Kyungsoo hummed. He raised the gun in his hand, gazing at the small red stone on the handle. It was a Garnet, his birthstone. He never had a trouble controlling his magic at school when he used this stone. He closed his eyes and took a breath, feeling his power coursing through his blood.

 

Opening his eyes, he lifted the gun and whispered the spell Yixing taught him. Black smoke covered the bullet when it was shot, a dark trail swirling towards the wall before disappearing completely.

 

There was silence for a second before the smoke reappeared with a loud boom, a blue fire appearing on the ground.

 

"Add your power,” Yixing whispered.

 

Kyungsoo shot his gun again and the same smoke appeared. There was no sound when the blue fire lit again; it rapidly creeped up the wall, covering it within seconds.Kyungsoo inhaled deeply, his lips twitching.

 

"What percent of power did you use?"

 

"40."

 

"Make it 100 now."

 

"You sure?"

 

"Yeah, I got your back."

 

Kyungsoo inhaled, closing his eyes and adding more magic into his stone before he opened his eyes, shooting for the last time.

 

A fire bullet came out from the gun, a bullet of red and orange that slowly turned blue as it flew towards the wall. As soon as the bullet hit the wall, huge flames, completely consuming the wall. Suddenly, a strong wind appeared, the wall disappearing with only blue ashes in its wake.

 

"Okay, warm up is over. Now let’s fight, Kyungsoo." Yixing patted Kyungsoo's shoulders. He clapped his hands and whispered a spell to reconstruct the wall. Kyungsoo was still in the same position, staring at the wall that he had just destroyed.

 

Luhan's mouth was slightly parted, and beside him Sehun wrote down notes while Chanyeol watched silently.

 

"One black magic spell could work for one group of Runners, right?" Luhan asked.

 

"Yeah."

 

"But what if he fights one on one with the Runners’ black magic user?"

 

"As long as he's not stronger than Kyungsoo hyung then it's fine."

 

"But if he is, then..."

 

Sehun sighed. "He could die."

 

Minseok overheard Sehun’s words and took a deep breath. He needed to tell Jongin. He also needed to make sure with Yixing that Kyungsoo would be fine. It was his idea to choose Kyungsoo, he had take all responsibility.

  
  
  
  


***

  
  
  
  


Afterwards, Minseok went with Kyungsoo and Yixing to the cafeteria. He piled Kyungsoo’s plate with food and desserts, wanting to be sure that Kyungsoo was okay. The young man hadn't smile at all and Yixing reminded Minseok that the negativity was still inside of him.

 

"How long does it usually stay?" Minseok asked Kyungsoo who shrugged.

 

"Couple of hours. I always make sure it's gone before I go back. I don't want Jongin to see me like this."

 

"I also make sure to fit some breaks in between training so that he doesn’t get too tired focusing on his thoughts. He’s getting better at controlling his feelings now," Yixing smiled, patting Kyungsoo's shoulder.

 

"Great. So nothing will happen to Kyungsoo, right?" Minseok stared at Yixing who nodded. "Nothing should ever happen to him. He has to win against that black magic Runner, Yixing."

 

"Minseok, I don't know how great he is and I can't force Kyungsoo to learn so many things in a day. You need to stop worrying about Kyungsoo; he's my responsibility. I will talk with Jongin regarding Kyungsoo’s condition if you want," Yixing offered.

 

Minseok nodded a couple of times. "Please do. You know this better than I do and I’m sure your explanation could comfort him more rather than my words."

 

"Seems like all of you overthink too much, huh?" Yixing hummed in thought.

 

Kyungsoo chuckled, "That's true."

 

Minseok rubbed his temples, staring down at his half-eaten food. "I can't help it."

 

Yixing shared a look with Kyungsoo who shook his head, "Just listen when they start to worry. That's what I’ve learned after all these years of knowing them."

 

Minseok glared at him. Kyungsoo sounded like he was just fine. Why was Minseok even worried?

 

"By the way, hyung, we are going to choose the new Catchers today," Kyungsoo said.

 

"Today?"

 

"Yeah. I'm going back to the Ministry after this and will discuss it with Jongin. Jongin is currently talking to our Commander. We have one healer and two attackers ready. We think the fourth candidate is good at defense but I'm not sure. Jongin has someone on his mind too so hopefully we'll get a new group ready to go in two days."

 

"Go where?" Yixing asked.

 

"To replace the best Catchers that usually guard the Castle." Minseok gulped his water, pushing his plate away as he had lost his appetite over all this work talk. "I think Kris will join those Catchers too. Junmyeon told me about it, that his boss was willing to fight his ex members if he had to."

 

"Junmyeon hyung met his boss?" Kyungsoo stared with wide eyes.

 

"Yes. He's been spending time with him lately."

 

“That’s great. Knowing that he’s here with us is really comforting compared to before.” Kyungsoo gave a small smile.

 

“It is,” Minseok smiled back, feeling relieved to see that Kyungsoo had finally come back.

 

 


	24. Chapter 24

The King appointed more royal guards and the Ministry sent their best Catchers to the Castle. There was no news about the King's brother but the King was confident the Catchers would track and catch him in no time. He could never imagine that his brother hated him that much; he couldn’t believe that his brother would try and steal the throne from him.

 

The King knew his brother wouldn’t succeed. Since they were children, the King had seen how selfish his brother could be. A King shouldn't be like that. The King was the one person with the power to protect a country and its citizens; he should use that power to promote justice in the country.

 

Baekhyun stayed in the library with his brother while his parents had a meeting with the Ministers. His father had ordered him to cancel his tutoring today. It upset Baekhyun when he couldn’t see Chanyeol, even if it was only for a day.

 

"Can I study here?"

 

"What?" Baekhyun's brother, Baekbeom, asked from behind his book.

 

"Can I call my tutor here so we can study?"

 

"So that you can study or so you can see him?"

 

Baekhyun narrowed his eyes. "Both."

 

"Chanyeol’s probably busy with his project right now. You should leave him alone today."

 

"But his main job is to tutor me."

 

"Baekkie, don't be like this. You know saving the country is more important than you, right?"

 

Baekhyun whined, throwing his arms into the air. "Should I go and help him then?"

 

"You're just going to cause trouble if you go to him. Baekhyun, please. Just wait for today, I'm sure he will visit you as soon as he’s finished."

 

"How come you're so sure of that?" Baekhyun pouted.

 

"You always get angry whenever he's late and he hasn't told you that he cancelled the session today. He knows you will sulk like usual so let him be."

 

Baekhyun parted his lips, ready to reply but then he blinked couple of times. "In the end he does it because it's his job, right?" he said in a low voice.

 

Baekbeom noticed his brother’s sudden sadness so he called Baekhyun to his side. Baekhyun obediently went, letting his brother take one of his hands and hold it. "Baekkie, he likes you, okay? He likes you but he won't do anything about it. You're the Prince and he thinks that he's nothing. It's normal for him to not make a move because he's afraid. The only thing that allows you to live in the same place is his job so stop thinking that it's bad when he keeps mentioning work. Work is important because that's the only reason for him to be close to you."

 

Baekhyun frowned, taking deep breaths as he stared at his brother.

 

"Do you understand? Do not let Father or Mother know about this. I will support you but please, don't do anything in this kind of situation. You're smart, Baekhyun. You're just lazy and I know you can do anything that you want. You're the crown prince for God's sake. Just think clearly for now instead of listening to what your heart wants. Chanyeol will always be there beside you."

 

Baekhyun squeezed his brother's hand, dropping his head. "Alright."

 

"You should worry about our country more, Baekkie. I'm sure Chanyeol will be happy if you can be just a little bit more serious about this problem."

 

Baekhyun sighed, letting go of his brother's hand and went back to his spot. "It's your job, not mine..."

 

"It's our job as the royal family, Byun Baekhyun."

  
  
  


***

  
  
  


Kyungsoo and Jongdae were instructed to be part of the Catcher group that would guard the Castle.  Kyungsoo continued training with Yixing while Jongdae remained torn about his situation. He had heard about Tao from Junmyeon, and he was certain it was the same man he had met in the forest. Jongdae wanted to meet him again. Even if it was wrong, he just wanted to be sure Tao was safe.

 

Jongdae was heading to see Minseok when he bumped into someone. "Oops. I'm very sorry."

 

The man looked up at Jongdae, his eyes glaring, but then he blinked when he saw the robe that Jongdae was wearing. "You're a Catcher, right?"

 

"Yes, I am," Jongdae smiled, helping the man up. “Are you okay?”

 

"I'm fine, thanks. Are you going somewhere?"

 

"Yes, to the royal guards' building. I wanted to see my brother."

 

"What's his name?"

 

"Kim Minseok."

 

"Ah… nice to meet another brother of his. I'm Baekhyun."

 

Jongdae smiled before looking at him in shock. He stared for a few seconds, eyes wide, before bowing multiple times. "B-baek—the Prince? Oh my God, I'm so so sorry your highness. I didn't mean to bump into you, I should have been more careful—"

 

Baekhyun laughed, shaking his head. "Hey, it's okay. It's my fault too and I'm fine. Minseok hyung is currently having a meeting though, I'm not sure if you can meet him now."

 

"Oh... I... will wait for him, then." Jongdae smiled but it didn't reach his eyes and looked awkward.

 

"Are you okay?" Baekhyun tilted his head.

 

"Yeah, just... I wanted to meet the prisoner actually..." Jongdae bit his lips. He shouldn't say this to the Prince; he would think Jongdae was crazy for wanting to meet a Runner "I'm sorry, just forget what I said, My Prince."

 

"Do you want me to accompany you? I don't have anything to do right now," Baekhyun smiled. He grabbed Jongdae's hand, pulling him in the direction of the royal guards' building.  "You don't need Minseok hyung if you have me."

  
  
  
  
  
  


Jongdae waited for Baekhyun to talk to the guard. When Baekhyun came back to him with a smile, Jongdae had a sudden change of mind. Tao would be angry at him for lying. Tao would probably hate him and who in their right mind wanted to meet their enemy?

 

"I-I think we should go back."

 

"What?" Baekhyun looked shocked.

 

"Yeah, let's go back, Prince Baekhyun."

 

"But you said you wanted to meet him? You know him, right?"

 

Jongdae shook his head. "No, I don't. I just—let's just go back, My Prince, please?"

 

Baekhyun raised an eyebrow, folding his arms and lifting his chin a little. "Explain to me why and I'll decide."

 

"M-my Prince, I just think that it's not a good idea to meet the enemy like this. It's dangerous." Jongdae looked away from Baekhyun’s intense stare.

 

Baekhyun snorted. "Nope. That won't do. I order you to come with me and see the Runner."

 

Jongdae looked up, mouth hanging open. Did the Prince just order him to meet the enemy?

 

"Now."

 

Jongdae gulped, following the guard who was waiting for both of them. Jongdae looked back to Baekhyun who followed him, and he bit his lips, regretting his decision.

 

"Here's the place, My Prince. Do you want to go inside or just see him from the outside?" the guard asked.

 

"Is he chained?"

 

"Yes, My Prince."

 

"Open the door," Baekhyun ordered, motioning for Jongdae to go in.

 

Jongdae froze when he saw Tao sitting against the wall. His hands were cuffed, the chains bolted to the ground. He didn't look good.

 

Jongdae quickly went to Tao's side, checking for injuries. He felt relieved when he didn't find anything.

 

"Tao? Hey, Tao?"

 

Tao moved his head slightly, slowly opening his eyes. "Jonghyun?"

 

Jongdae reached up to Tao’s face, slowly touching his cheek.

 

"What are you doing here?"

 

"I'm sorry..." Jongdae whispered.

 

"What are you talking about?" Tao chuckled, eyes closing again.

 

"Tao, I lied to you."

 

Tao opened his eyes. "What?"

 

"My name is not Jonghyun and I didn't come from the town."

 

Tao frowned. “I don’t understand—”

 

"My name is Jongdae and I'm a Catcher. I lied because I knew you were a Runner. I lied because I was scared you would kill me. I'm sorry, Tao. I didn't want to come but I—"

 

"Jongdae?"

 

Jongdae's heart skipped a bit when he heard Tao speak his name.

 

"I'm sorry," Jongdae said once again.

 

Tao continued staring at him. Jongdae didn’t know what to do. He wanted to run away, but he also wanted to stay by Tao’s side. Rubbing his thighs anxiously, he turned back to Baekhyun.

 

"I guess I'll go now. I hope that—"

 

"Stay," Tao whispered.

 

Jongdae turned back around to meet Tao’s eyes.

 

"I mean, can you please stay?"

 

Jongdae turned back to Baekhyun who smiled and motioned that he would step outside.

 

"Okay," Jongdae sighed. Finding a comfortable position next to Tao, he eyes the chains around his hands. "Does they hurt? Do you want me to heal them?"

 

"No, thank you. I'm fine, it's not that tight." Tao smiled at Jongdae. "Do you know if Kris hyung is safe?"

 

"Kris hyung?"

 

"Yeah, the one you caught with me?"

 

Jongdae guessed that Tao was talking about Junmyeon's boss so he nodded. "He's fine. I didn't see him, but I think he's in good condition, just like you."

 

"Great. It's actually my fault that we got caught so I hope he isn't angry at me," Tao chuckled. He stared at Jongdae and tilted his head. "So. Jongdae. You're a Catcher, huh? Why didn't you kill me that night?"

 

Jongdae froze at the smirk on Tao's lips, suddenly scared of the dark look in his eyes. "I'm only a healer. I never kill or hurt anyone."

 

Tao only hummed. "Why are you here, then?"

 

"I heard about the Runners that they caught and the description matched yours. I don't know why but I felt like seeing you..." Jongdae dropped his head, feeling his cheeks grow warm. What was wrong with him? He shouldn't be here, talking with a prisoner.

 

"What will they do to me?" Tao asked, rubbing his eyes.

 

"Honestly, I don't know."

 

"I don't regret my decision, you know? I have no one and the Runners were the only ones who helped me. The least I can do is do a good job, even if I know it's wrong."

 

"Tao..."

 

"Maybe I won't even meet them again, my family, but I just...waiting here alone is driving me crazy. Will I die or will they leave me here until I become crazy with my own thoughts and worries?"

 

"No, Tao—"

 

"Can you come here again?" Tao whispered. "I tried to talk with that man outside but he never replies. I don't like being alone, Jongdae. If you're allowed to come here then please, be my friend until I know what my fate will be."

 

Jongdae bit his lip. What should he say? He didn't know if he could come again, but he wanted to. He thought seeing Tao once would be enough, but knowing how scared and lonely he was made him more worried. Jongdae hated how he felt. Tao was the enemy. He did terrible things to many Catchers yet Jongdae pitied him.

 

"I don't know."

 

Tao laughed, shaking his head at Jongdae. "I understand. It's just a stupid request that I wasn’t going to get anyway. Thank you for coming here, Jongdae. It's nice to see you again, really. Even if you lied to me about yourself, you still helped me."

 

"I just can't help it when I see someone who's hurting," Jongdae gulped, rubbing his thigh with one hand.

 

"Thank you, Jongdae." Tao offered his hand and Jongdae stared at it. "I know that I sound stupid but I really hope I can see you again."

 

Jongdae shook Tao's hand, staring straight into his eyes. "Thank you for not killing me, Tao."

 

Tao widened his eyes, suddenly laughing out loud.

 

"Why are you laughing..." Jongdae frowned. Tao hadn't let go of his hand.

 

"You're a very interesting person, Jongdae."

  
  



	25. Chapter 25

The attack came unexpectedly but all the royal guards and Catchers were ready.

 

Kyungsoo got called by Minseok when he was catching up with Luhan. He followed Minseok to where the Runners were fighting the Catchers. There were so many people, he couldn’t even tell the difference between the two groups. Some royal guards were taking care of the injured one with healers while the others kept fighting. Minseok brought him to Yixing who was already there, waiting for him. Kyungsoo glanced at the battlefield before turning back to Yixing.

 

Kyungsoo had no time to think of anything else. He shut his eyes and recalled all the feelings again. When he opened them again, he could feel the dark magic coursing through him.

 

"Kyungsoo, do not kill anyone," Yixing whispered.

 

Kyungsoo snorted, shrugging off Yixing’s hands. Shooting him one last smile, he turned to the battle.

 

Kyungsoo began by casting a destruction spell, shaking the earth underneath them. Some Runners attempted to get back up, but Kyungsoo had already cast another spell, chaining them to the ground. Looking at the crowd, he finally found the one person he was looking for, the one person who had been unaffected by his spells— the black magic Runner, JB.  

  
  
  


The man smirked at him, stance strong and confident. Kyungsoo clenched his fists. He knew he wasn’t as strong or as experienced as JB, but he needed to defeat him. He _had_ to. Stepping forward, they began their fight.

 

Yixing quickly formed a barrier to separate them from the rest of the crowd. The Commander ordered the royal guards and Catchers to take care of the Runners, now that their black magic user was preoccupied.

 

Kyungsoo huffed when he was almost hit for the third time. JB was casting all kinds of spells at him, and Kyungsoo didn’t know how much longer he could protect himself. He didn’t even have the chance to cast any spells himself, as he was too busy defending himself from JB.

 

Kyungsoo was trying to think of a spell when a magic arrow scraped his leg. Groaning at the sudden pain that overcame him, he fell to the ground. When he looked up, he saw that JB had locked his target on him. His mind went black, breaths freezing, when he saw the arrow shooting towards him.

 

"Kyungsoo!"

 

Hearing Yixing’s scream, Kyungsoo shook his head. Recalling a spell Yixing had taught him, he shut his eyes and whispered it under his breath. When he looked up again, the arrow had turned back towards its owner. JB stared at it in shock, quickly firing another shot to deflect the arrow.

 

By the time JB recovered, Kyungsoo had already shot his own gun, three ice bullets hurtling towards the Runner. JB quickly built a barrier, but Kyungsoo had predicted this and whispered another spell, turning one of the bullets invisible. It shot past the barrier and grazed JB’s shoulder.

 

JB stumbled back, hand grasping his shoulder as his eyes glinted with anger.

 

Kyungsoo smirked. "I'll admit that I probably can’t win against you, but you know that this place is full of guards and Catchers. There's no place for you to run."

 

JB glared at Kyungsoo. He flinched after moving his hand away from his shoulder. "Did you kill the Runners that you caught?"

 

Kyungsoo perked up at the question. "No, we haven’t. They're perfectly fine."

 

"You’re lying."

 

Kyungsoo snorted. "Whatever. You won't believe what I say anyway." He folded his arms. "Tell us where your boss is right now."

 

"I don't know where he is. I don't even know our boss’ identity! Just take me to the captured Runners and I will bring you someone who knows where he is!"

 

Kyungsoo shook his head. "Now that's a lie. I'm sure our Catchers are already heading to your camp. You know, to get Yunho hyung."

 

"You—" JB angrily aimed his bow again and shot four times towards Kyungsoo.

 

Kyungsoo didn’t even flinch, easily crushing the arrows with a slight movement of his hand. JB looked taken back by his strength.

 

"Don't waste your energy, JB."

 

JB froze. "How do you know my name?"

 

"We asked your friends many things, you know? I already told you that we didn’t kill any of them. Kris, Tao, and Seungwan are fine."

 

It was a good thing Junmyeon had given him this information before the battle. Kyungsoo had heard how close Kris was with the group. He hadn’t thought much about their group bond, but seeing the way JB acted, he could use this to his advantage.

 

Kyungsoo sighed silently when he saw the angry glint in JB's eyes. He shouldn’t have triggered JB’s feelings like that, but the black magic urged him to toy with the Runner’s feelings some more. This could go badly, especially since JB could go into a rage and go out of control.

 

"They're my family! I won't forgive you for what you've done to them!" JB screamed as he lifted his bow, shouting a spell as he shot the arrow.

 

"You will be very sad after knowing the truth..." Kyungsoo whispered to himself.

 

Kyungsoo shot every bullet in his own gun as he moved forwards. Kyungsoo's small build helped him run faster as he charged, ignoring the pain that rushed through his body as two or three arrows hit him. Kyungsoo continued pushing forwards, his last bullet hitting JB in the arm.

 

Kyungsoo quickly charged forward, reaching JB's side in no time, and knocked him down. JB dropped his bow and Kyungsoo chained his hands, the former grunting in anger. Kyungsoo took a couple of deep breaths as he stood up, glancing at JB's arrow to see the glinting Lapis Lazuli.

 

"Black magic is more powerful than normal magic, but you have to remember to always use your head instead of your heart." Kyungsoo looked down at JB who was glaring at him.

 

Kyungsoo turned his head to Yixing, smiling a little as Yixing took down his barrier, and took a few steps toward him. Yixing hugged him tightly, murmuring how he had done such a good job.

 

"Hyung..."

 

"Yeah, Kyungsoo?" Yixing pulled away to see Kyungsoo blinking unsteadily.

 

"I think I'm going to pass out..."

 

Kyungsoo shut his eyes, losing consciousness. The last thing he heard was Yixing's worried voice telling him to wake up.

  
  
  
  


***

  
  
  


Kyungsoo opened his eyes to see Jongin's sleeping face. Jongin's head was on the bed, his hand wrapped around Kyungsoo’s own. Kyungsoo missed Jongin. He felt guilty about how selfish he had been, to learn something as dangerous as dark magic and make Jongin worried.

 

"Jongin..." Kyungsoo’s voice came out as a hoarse cry. Clearing his throat, he tried again. Jongin’s eyes slowly fluttered open.

 

"Soo?"

 

"Hey."

 

"Oh my god, Kyungsoo!" Jongin gasped. He jumped up and hugged Kyungsoo, the smaller chuckling as he wrapped his arms around Jongin’s warm body. "How are you, baby?" Jongin kissed Kyungsoo's forehead a couple of times and pecked Kyungsoo's lips once.

 

"Tired. How about you?"

 

"Relieved. You've been sleeping for three days, you know?"

 

Kyungsoo blinked. "I did? What about the Runners?"

 

Jongin just smiled. “I’ll tell you once you eat something.”

 

Food had never tasted as delicious as it had then. . Kyungsoo blushed a little when Jongin fed him. He tried to eat by himself but Jongin refused, saying that he wouldn’t tell the story if Kyungsoo didn't oblige.

 

Jongin informed Kyungsoo that the Catchers had found Yunho and they had threatened him, forcing him to tell them where the King's older brother was. The man was hiding deep in the forest, in small house surrounded by an invisible barrier.

 

He was punished, locked away in prison. Ashamed that his own brother had done such horrible deeds, the King decided not to reveal the truth to the country’s citizens. All the Runners were captured, and so long as they had some goodness in them, the King agreed to let them go

 

The weapons along with Lapis Lazuli were confiscated. They were locked deep underground, protected by layers of powerful spells.

 

"All of that in three days? Wow, I missed quite a lot, huh?"

 

"Yeah, you did. Yixing predicted that you wouldn’t wake up for a week though. He said he’d once passed out for that long." Jongin gave Kyungsoo his water, running his hand through Kyungsoo's hair. "I'm just glad that you're safe, hyung."

 

Kyungsoo smiled. "I'm sorry for making you worry, Jongin. I won't do it again. Staying away from you hurt me a lot."

 

Jongin took Kyungsoo's hand, moving closer to press their foreheads together. "You should be proud that you saved the country, hyung."

 

"All of us worked our hardest to save the country, Jongin."

 

"We did," Jongin sighed, pressing his lips against Kyungsoo’s cheek. Kyungsoo once again wrapped his arms around Jongin's body, inhaling Jongin’s scent.

 

It felt good to be back in Jongin's arms.

  
  
  
  


***

  
  
  
  


Junmyeon came to visit Kyungsoo the next day, a tall man trailing behind him. Kyungsoo frowned, staring at the man who awkwardly waved his hand.

 

"Kyungsoo, how are you?" Junmyeon smiled, taking a seat on the bed beside Kyungsoo.

 

"I'm fine, hyung. I need one or two more days to rest and I'll go back to work." Kyungsoo smiled when Junmyeon rubbed his arm.

 

"Great to hear that. My boss here wants to thank you for what you did."

 

Kyungsoo looked up at the tall man. "Oh, he's your boss? I'm sorry, I didn't know. I wish I could properly bow—"

 

"I understand," Kris cut in. "Thank you, Kyungsoo-ssi. I'm impressed at what you've done, how you held off the black magic user so that he wouldn’t cause too much damage."

 

"I wouldn’t have been able to do it if  not for Yixing hyung." Kyungsoo bit his lips. "I'm sorry that I hurt JB."

 

"Kyungsoo, don't make that face. It's your job, you know that," Junmyeon scolded.

 

"But it's his friend—"

 

"I'm not sure they will still call me their friend. I told them about who I really am and the responses are not good." Kris folded his arms, sighing hard.

 

Kyungsoo could only give him an apologetic smile. He turned to Junmyeon who tugged on his hand and raised his eyebrows.

 

"Is Jongin okay?"

 

"As far as I know, yeah. Did he tell you something?"

 

Junmyeon shook his head with a grin. "Nope. Just wanted to make sure. He was grumbling when I came so I thought something had happened."

 

Kyungsoo suddenly blushed at the mention of Jongin. Junmyeon tilted his head, turning to Kris who shrugged and asked Kyungsoo why he was blushing.

 

"N-nothing." He couldn’t tell Junmyeon that he had been making out with Jongin. He was probably angry that he had been interrupted by his brother.

 

Curious, Junmyeon was about to ask another question when Kris put a hand on his shoulder.

 

"Jun, we have to go back to the Ministry."

 

Junmyeon smiled at him before turning back to Kyungsoo to ruffle his hair. "Okay then. See you soon at work, Soo."

 

"Yeah, see you, hyung."

 

Kyungsoo watched Junmyeon and Kris leave, his eyes widening when he saw Kris’ hand on Junmyeon’s back.

 

"Did Kris call Junmyeon hyung ‘Jun’? Just how close are they?”"

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Junmyeon hugged Jongin at the door, telling him to take a good care of Kyungsoo. His brother just snorted. "I'm serious, Jongin," he frowned, not liking the reply he got.

 

"Hyung, have you ever seen me not taking care of him?"

 

"Well, no, but—"

 

"Just go, okay? It looks like you really need to go back to work." Jongin pointedly looked at Kris.

 

Junmyeon frowned, turning to see Kris with his usual stone face. Chuckling, he turned back to face Jongin and patted his cheeks. "Stop glaring, Jongin. He normally looks like that."

 

"He does?" Jongin looked surprised.

 

"Jun."

 

"Alright, alright. See you at work, hm?"

 

"Yeah, take care, hyung." Jongin waved his hand as Junmyeon and Kris headed down the stairs.

 

Junmyeon followed his boss outside, moving to his side when they left the building.

 

"So Kyungsoo really learned black magic, huh?"

 

Junmyeon licked his lips, putting his hands inside his pocket as the weather was too cold for his liking. "You realized you've asked the same question, right?"

 

Kris scratched his neck. "I just can't imagine someone like him being able to learn it in such a short time. He looks small and—"

 

"For your information, you're the one who's taller than average here," Junmyeon cut in, raising his eyebrows when Kris looked down at him.

 

"I'm sorry, but he doesn't look like JB. I just can't imagine him having a lot of bad memories," Kris shrugged.

 

"You can't really see what’s behind a smile. For example, I didn’t know you were an ex criminal. I didn’t even know the Ministry hired ex criminals. I had always thought they were all bad, you know?" Junmyeon stared up to Kris, taking in his side profile. He was sure that his boss was famous not only because of his merits, but because of his face. He was very handsome, and it had surprised him when he had discovered that the handsome Runner had been his boss.

 

"I didn’t expect you to look like this either," Kris replied. He put a hand on Junmyeon's back as they crossed the street.

 

"Like what?"

 

Kris looked at him, thinking of the right word to describe Junmyeon. "Beautiful?"

 

Junmyeon paused for a second, turning to Kris who had a small smile on his lips.

 

"I know what you're going to say. You're a man, but I still think you're beautiful. I just remembered that the Kims are not only famous for their achievements, but also for their insane beauty."

 

Junmyeon pressed his lips together, unsure of what to say. He was used to people saying these kinds of things, but it felt different coming out of Kris’ mouth.

 

"H-how are your friends?" Junmyeon gnawed on his lower lip, feeling his cheeks grow hot.

 

"Thankfully none of them had to go to the prison, except for Sooyoung and Taecyeon as they were informants. They were with the King's brother when we found him and they knew too many things." Kris pursed his lips. At least the Ministry had decided to save most of his friends.

 

"Oh, I met Tao last night. He was angry at me but then he ended up crying. He said that he hasn't forgive me but it's funny how he told me about your brother, who's his name again?" Kris nudged Junmyeon lightly.

 

"Jongdae?"

 

"Yes, Jongdae. Tao is so happy whenever Jongdae visits to him, bringing books and food. He’s never had any friends outside of our circle so I guess it's good for him. Seungwan is still traumatized though, I'm worried about her. She came from a rich family from what I’ve heard. I never really ask why she joined Runners. I just hope she's okay..."

 

Junmyeon was watching when Kris visited his friend, Seungwan, the beautiful girl who had long brown hair. She had hugged him as soon as Kris came and had cried, making Kris whisper sweet nothings and assure her that she will be fine.

 

"It actually surprised me when I saw how close you are with them. I heard that you're a cold person, boss." Junmyeon glanced up at Kris who chuckled.

 

"I need to open myself if I want them to trust me. I just did what I had to do."

 

Junmyeon pursed his lips. Kris was actually different from what he had heard and expected. Sure, he was scary and had this intimidating aura about him, but Junmyeon didn't understand the rumours about Kris. Kris was nice towards him. He might have this stoic face most of the time but his silent gestures showed that he cared for his employees. He rarely smiled but it always surprised Junmyeon in a good way whenever Kris smiled at random things.

 

"Why not act like that to other people, say, at work?"

 

"I only do that to people who passed my standard. Like you, Jun. You did a great job so I know you're trying hard not only because you're afraid of me, but because you're a responsible man." Kris smiled, patting Junmyeon's back twice.

 

"I don't like my job, though."

 

"You dont?"

 

Junmyeon shook his head. "I'm going to be honest and say that your letter changed my thoughts. I still hate my job but I view things in a different way now, and even if I hated you so much at first, I'm glad that you're safe, Kris-ssi."

 

Kris paused for a second, covering his laughter with the back of his hand.

 

"Thank you for the compliment, Kim. Can't wait to work with you."

 

Junmyeon flashed him a pretty smile, feeling warmth spread throughout him.

  
  
  
  


***

 

 

 

Seeing the weird smile on Minseok’s face, Dongwoo slapped him on the back.

 

"What!?"

 

"Stop smiling like that, it’s creepy. I know you're happy seeing your brother but you need to stop."

 

Minseok laughed, grabbing Dongwoo's collar before leaning in to growl, "Say that again."

 

Dongwoo gulped hard, flashing an awkward smile as he raised both hands in the air. "I'm sorry, I won't tease you again but... you seriously need to stop, Minnie."

 

Minseok stared at Dongwoo before letting him go. He looked back at Jongdae who was currently sitting with Tao. Tao moved his hands excitedly, trying to explain something to Jongdae who was listening with an excited smile, his eyes glinting with happiness.

 

"I'm just happy for him, Dongwoo. It's nice to see him like that after all of this, you know?"

 

Dongwoo smiled. "I'm happy if you're happy, Minnie."

 

Minseok turned to Dongwoo with a frown. "Your choice of words really do make us look like a couple."

 

"Uh, where did you hear that from? The kids know that you currently like someone so—"

 

"Wait, what?"

 

"What?" Dongwoo tilted his head.

 

"You said that I like someone?"

 

"I did. They think that you have something going on with Yixing. They saw both of you going to town and—"

 

"Wait, wait, who? Who saw it?" Minseok's heart beat quickly. Someone saw them? It had been dark when they had gone out and he didn’t recall anyone outside.

 

"Hakyeon and some other boys. They saw you taking Yixing back to your room at night."

 

Minseok made a weird noise, his nose scrunched as he covered his face with both hands. He peeked through his fingers. "How did they know we went to town?"

 

Dongwoo tilted his head. "Yixing didn’t tell you?"

 

"Tell me what?"

 

"The kids forced him to spill the story, where both of you went and what you did. You know how protective they are when you get close with someone, I mean, you let him sleep in your room, Minnie," Dongwoo chuckled.

 

"I'm being nice! It's because he knows black magic!"

 

"But you went to town with him. You always go to town alone, Minseok. Other than that one time we went together on business, you never take someone."

 

Minseok groaned, rubbing his face. "I went to him because I couldn’t stop thinking about how lonely he was. Somehow, we decided we wanted to have some fun and went out."

 

Dongwoo smirked, clearly relishing the pink that spread across Minseok’s cheeks. "Uh-huh?"

 

"I just felt like it' wasn’t a bad idea. I did it because he was willing to help us."

 

"Not a bad idea at all, I agree. Did you have fun with him?"

 

Minseok sighed, "I did."

 

Dongwoo smiled, putting a hand around Minseok’s shoulder. "I think he's a good guy. And he wants to stay here longer to learn about the Castle and our country, so this is a good chance for you to get to know him better."

 

"He's going to stay here?" Minseok asked.

 

Dongwoo narrowed his eyes. "He didn't tell you that either? Okay, that's weird..." He scratched his head. Seeing a familiar dimple smile, he brightened. "Guess you have to ask him yourself, Minnie. Yixing hyung!"

 

Minseok quickly jerked around to where Dongwoo shouted. Seeing Yixing make his way over, Minseok suddenly had the urge to run away.

 

"Talk to him, okay? I'll leave you two alone," Dongwoo whispered to Minseok before walking away.

 

"Hey Minseok! Why is Dongwoo leaving when he was the one who called for me..." Yixing asked, waving at Dongwoo. He raised an eyebrow when Dongwoo winked at him as he left.

 

"I-I don't know."

 

Yixing shrugged, facing Minseok with his blinding smile. "Have you eaten? How about we eat together? I want to tell you something."

 

Minseok blinked, his hand unconsciously grabbing at his robe. "What is it?"

 

"Let's talk inside, yeah?" Yixing grinned, pushing Minseok with both hands on his shoulders.

  
  
  
  


***

  
  
  
  


Baekhyun was glaring at Luhan. The latter had a helpless look on his face as he tugged on Sehun’s shirt. As Sehun spoke with Chanyeol about the Runners’ weapons the Ministry had confiscated, he found it difficult to ignore his boyfriend.

 

"What is it, hyung?"

 

"He's staring..." Luhan whispered.

 

"He likes to do that, I told you before."

 

"But it's scary. It's as if he wants to do something bad to me."

 

Sehun shifted his eyes to the Prince. Baekhyun’s arms were folded, legs crossed and his eyes glaring at Luhan. Sehun pursed his lips. He thought it would be good to let Baekhyun meet Luhan as the Prince seemed curious about his boyfriend last time. He didn't think it was such a good idea anymore; Baekhyun looked like he was going to eat Luhan alive.

 

"My Prince?"

 

"What is it, Park Chanyeol?"

 

"You have been very quiet." Chanyeol tilted his head to Baekhyun. He lifted his hand to check the Prince's temperature.

 

Baekhyun widened his eyes, slapping Chanyeol's hand away from his forehead. "What are you doing?!" His cheeks turned red in an instant.

 

"I'm just checking to see if you're sick, My Prince," Chanyeol frowned.

 

"I'm not sick! I just—" Baekhyun glanced at  Luhan and sighed. "I'm going back to my room." Standing up, Baekhyun nodded at Luhan and Sehun before walking away.

 

"Chanyeol-ssi, I think you should go and ask him if something's wrong," Luhan said.

 

Chanyeol wanted to talk some more with Sehun and Luhan, but Baekhyun was more important. Plus, he didn’t want to deal with Baekhyun’s bad mood tomorrow, so he excused himself and chased after the Prince.

 

Luhan chuckled as he watched Chanyeol run out the door. "It's so easy to read Baekhyun, why can't Chanyeol see it?"

 

Sehun took Luhan's hand, playing with his fingers. "It’s not that he can’t see it. It’s because Baekhyun is the Prince."

 

"So what if he's the Prince? It's not like he's the oldest. He doesn't have to produce a heir, Sehun-ah."

 

"Still, they come from different statuses and Chanyeol hyung isn't the type who can ignore something like that. He'd rather stay like they are now instead of risking what he has. At least, that’s what I think." Sehun pursed his lips.

 

Luhan hummed. "Even so, based on what you’ve told me about Baekhyun’s character, I think they will be fine. Baekhyun will do whatever it takes to make Chanyeol stays" He recalled the look Baekhyun gave  him and turned to Sehun with a pout. "I just realized that he's jealous of me."

 

"The Prince?"

 

"Yeah, that's why he's been staring at me. I wish I realized earlier. I would have liked to help them in some way..." Luhan sighed, laying his head on Sehun’s shoulder as he snuggled closer.

 

"Leave them alone, Lu. You're always like this, trying to give unnecessary help."

 

Luhan slapped Sehun's thigh, making the younger flinch in surprise. "No I don't."

 

"Yes, you do. You did the same thing with Jongin and Kyungsoo—"

 

"I can't help it, okay! How can you stay and only watch when two people obviously share the same feelings but don't have the courage to confess to each other?" Luhan asked in a frustrated tone.

 

"It doesn't mean they want the same thing and in this case, like I told you, it's not easy. I'm sure something will change today, although I don't know if it's for the better..." Sehun tilted Luhan's face up and pressed a kiss onto his lips. "Okay?"

 

Luhan grinned like a child, kissing Sehun back, and hummed. "Okay." He then frowned, dropping his head back on Sehun's shoulder. "This will be our last night here, yeah? I kind of like it here, you know..."

 

"We can stay for a few more nights I guess. I miss our home actually..." Sehun sighed, his hand slipping around Luhan's waist to tug him closer.

 

"But I can talk with so many people here..." Luhan whispered.

 

"I'm sorry. I will spend more time with you later." Sehun unconsciously gripped Luhan's side tighter.

 

Luhan turned his head slightly, staring up at Sehun with an apologetic look. "That's not what I meant, Sehun-ah..."

 

"That's exactly what you meant."

 

"No, I'm just saying that we, or maybe I, will visit this place more in the future. I'm asking for your permission, and telling you to find me here if I ever come back late."

 

Sehun raised an eyebrow. "You don't need me anymore, huh?"

 

Luhan gasped, pulling Sehun by his neck and pressing their lips together. Sehun tilted his head as Luhan deepened the kiss. He nipped at Sehun’s lips before pulling away.

 

"Sehun, I can't live without you. I followed you here."

 

Sehun licked his lips, a smirk on his face. "I know that. You love me more than I love you, remember?"

 

Luhan narrowed his eyes, hugging Sehun as he pressed his cheek to Sehun's shoulder. "I do. You're going to be my husband very soon anyway."

 

"Can't wait for the day to come, wifey."

  
  
  
  


***

  
  
  
  


Baekhyun turned away when Chanyeol tried to stop him from walking anymore. He hated how Chanyeol was a full head taller than him; it made running away very difficult.

 

"I'm tired," Baekhyun said.

 

"Do you need any medicine, My Prince?"

 

"No. I just want to rest so please, move away."

 

Chanyeol pursed his lips. "My Prince, did I say something wrong?"

 

"No."

 

"Then please look at me when you talk."

 

Baekhyun rolled his eyes, turning to Chanyeol. "There. Move away now."

 

"I did something, didn't I? You're angry again," Chanyeol sighed.

 

"Chanyeol, step aside, please? I'm really not in the mood to talk with you right now." Baekhyun tried to push past him but Chanyeol grabbed his hand.

 

"What is it this time? Is it because I ignored you and talked with Sehun?"

 

"No, it's not that..."

 

"Is it Luhan?"

 

Baekhyun parted his lips, looking up at Chanyeol, and shook his head. "It's not."

 

"It is Luhan." Chanyeol tightened his grip on Baekhyun’s hand. "What did he do? Should I scold him or something?"

 

"It's not him—"

 

"I will tell Sehun so that Luhan will apologize to you—"

 

"Park Chanyeol!"

 

Chanyeol shut his mouth when Baekhyun raised his voice.

 

"I told you it's not him." Baekhyun tried to pulled away his hand but Chanyeol only gripped tighter. "Let go," he ordered.

 

"No."

 

"Yah, let go of me right now!"

 

"I won't let you go until you tell me what made you so upset. My Prince, please—"

 

"Stop it."

 

"I'm sorry?" Chanyeol blinked.

 

"I'm not your Prince..." Baekhyun whispered. He dropped his head, feeling his eyes sting with tears. He won't cry. He won't cry in front of Chanyeol.

 

"My Prince, what happened—" Chanyeol froze when he tilted Baekhyun's face up to see his teary eyes.

 

"I hate you," Baekhyun sniffed. "I hate you, Park Chanyeol. I won't study with you anymore. I will tell Father to fire you. I'm sick of you, I'm sick of seeing your face, I'm sick of your nice attitude to me, I'm sick of seeing your smile, I'm..." He gulped when he felt a tear falling down his cheek.

 

"Why can't you see my feelings, Park Chanyeol? All this time I've been a good boy because you wanted me to. I did what I hated, I studied, I read books, I practiced with you, I did everything to become a good student but why, why do you still act the same!? I hate it when you say that it's your job. Have you ever genuinely worried about me? Not because it's your job, not because you are my tutor but because… because I'm your friend, Baekhyun?" He inhaled deeply, flinching when he felt Chanyeol gently wipe away his years.

 

"Stop being nice to me... Stop giving me hope, Park Chanyeol..." Baekhyun whimpered. It was hard to breathe. His heart hurt, it hurt a lot, and as much as he hated Chanyeol, he didn't want him to let go of his hand, or even stop wiping his tears. Chanyeol never touched him like this. It had always been him who made the first move, and now he was tired.

 

"Baekhyun."

 

Baekhyun slowly looked up.

 

"Will you really fire me? Will you take away the only excuse I have to stay by your side?"

 

"I don't know… I'm too tired of waiting for you to fall for me." Baekhyun leaned his face into Chanyeol’s hand. It' was warm. It felt like a dream to have Chanyeol this close, touching him like this.

 

He wanted Chanyeol.

 

"I want you...to keep doing this. I want you to touch me, I want you to hug me and I want you to kiss me. I want you to be mine and only mine. I want you to do that because you want it too, not because I order you to."

 

"Then I will do it. I will touch you, I will hug you and I will kiss you. I want it, all of them." Chanyeol gulped when he moved his thumb across Baekhyun’s lips. "I will become yours, if that's what you want, Baekhyun."

 

Chanyeol let go of Baekhyun's hand, pulling Baekhyun against his chest. He smiled gently, leaning in to press their lips together.

 

"You are my prince. You're my one and only prince, Byun Baekhyun."

 

Baekhyun shut his eyes as he felt Chanyeol’s warm lips. It wasn’t a dream. Chanyeol’s hands, his lips, his sweet voice in his his ear— this wasn’t a dream anymore. Chanyeol finally belonged to him.

  
  
  
  
  


***

  
  
  
  


"I think that person has been watching us," Tao said while staring at Jongdae.

 

"Who?"

 

"That man over there, at 1 o’clock. Does he hate me?"

 

Jongdae tried to find the person Tao was talking about and laughed out loud when he saw who it was.

 

"What? Why are you laughing?"

 

"It's my brother!" Jongdae chuckled, throwing his head back as he did so.

 

"Your brother? Oh, I'm sorry. I thought..." Tao cleared his throat, scratching his neck.

 

"No, it's okay. How did you know he was looking at you anyways?"

 

"I know when someone stares at me. I can feel it. I have good instincts, that's what Yunho hyung told me. Even if my magic is poor or I always get hurt, I notice when something is wrong." Tao pursed his lips. Remembering Yunho gave him mixed feelings. "Maybe he just said that so that I wouldn’t think poorly of myself."

 

"Tao, you're a nice person. Even if you worked with bad people, you're a nice person, I can tell. If you weren’t, you would have killed me the first time we met."

 

Tao groaned out loud while Jongdae chuckled. Jongdae liked to tease Tao about it, recalling how they met.

 

"Thank God I told Kris hyung and thank God he was actually an undercover spy. If Yunho hyung had found it, he would’ve killed me for not killing you." Tao shivered at the thought of an angry Yunho. He had never seen him angry before but it was terrifying to imagine.

 

"It means that you're meant to be here, not in prison" Jongdae grinned, reaching out to pat Tao’s hand."I'm sure you will be useful here."

 

"I like it here."

 

"Good to hear that."

 

Tao parted his lips, his brows furrowing as he slowly looked away from Jongdae. "I like it because you're h-here..."

 

Jongdae blinked in surprise. "Me?"

 

"Y-you're the first friend that I’ve ever had and, ugh..." Tao scratched his neck in embarrassment.

 

"And?"

 

Tao glanced at Jongdae before he stared down at his lap. Seeing Jongdae’s hand next to his own, he reached out to hold it. His heart was beating so fast; he was afraid that Jongdae would pull away from him, but he didn’t.

 

"You're so cute, Tao-yah," Jongdae whispered as he leaned in to Tao. Seeing Tao’s blush, he smirked before pressing his lips against Tao’s cheeks. "I like you too."

  



End file.
